Love uncovered
by Mo-Jansen
Summary: Bella and Edward were adopted by the same couple and fell in love. They were torn apart by circumstances and meet again after five years. Will their love be uncovered again or did they grow too far apart? AH Canon couples.
1. Chapter 1

******Disclaimer: The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The plotline is completely mine. **Chapter one

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**Bpov**

**July 20****th**** 2007**

I gently rubbed my cousin's shoulders to calm her frazzled nerves. She was about to step into the church to marry the love of her life and she was trembling like a leaf.

"Rose, you need to take a deep breath for me, okay? Just breathe through it. When you set foot on that aisle and your eyes find Emmett, you will forget all about this stress and you'll just float through the rest of the day. Everything will be fine."

She drew in a shaky breath and turned to me. "Oh, Bella! Thank you so much for being here. I cannot believe that I don't have you as my maid of honour. I wish my mother hadn't been so adamant about the necessary blood relation."

"It's okay, hon. I understand and I am actually glad that I can just enjoy the day as a guest without all the obligations. I can just be there for the moral support and the fun parts. When you decide that something hasn't been done right I just dispose you into the capable arms of Jessica and Lauren," I said with a snicker.

"Ugh! You are insufferable! How can you call those two capable? It's ridiculous that my mother thinks those bitches are suited to be my bridesmaids, while I have never had a better friend and cousin than you."

I smiled sweetly at her. "Deep breaths, Rose. You're up to bat. I'll look for you coming down the aisle. I love you, so just go and get your happiness with that hunk of a man."

She hugged me tightly before straightening up and focusing on her breathing. I slipped out of the room and motioned Lauren to inform the organist to start.

She sneered at me, but did it anyway. I just shrugged and made my way to my seat, near the front of the church. I made a small wave to Emmett, who looked as nervous as Rosalie. He smiled timidly and I gave him a reassuring smile in return.

Rosalie and Emmett had moved away a year ago because Em had gotten a job in the family firm. I had only seen them again two days ago, when I flew in from Phoenix. They were still as happy as I remembered and I felt blessed that I was able to witness their union.

The music had started and Jessica was heading up the aisle with Jasper, Rose's brother. He inclined his head towards me and I beamed back at him. He and I both still lived in Phoenix, but because we were both busy we hadn't seen each other as much lately. Besides, he had been in Seattle to help Rosalie with the wedding for the past four weeks. We had tried to get together to catch up, but failed at that. He then promised me we would dance tonight and then try to make plans for somewhere during the next couple of days.

I now focused on the next couple that walked down. Lauren was looking dreamily up at the man next to her, who I assumed was Emmett's brother. I had never met him, but I heard he was a rebel on the outside, but a sweetheart on the inside. I smiled wistfully, remembering a boy I knew that was like that. Briefly I wondered what happened to him, but then Rosalie entered on her fathers arm and before I got a chance to check what Emmett's brother looked like, I was trained on my cousin and best friend. The nervousness melted off her face the instant her eyes found Emmett, just like I had expected and I sighed in relief.

"Oh, Bells. Isn't Rosie beautiful?" My mother breathed next to me.

"Yeah. She looks so happy, doesn't she?"

"I couldn't agree more. I have tissues in my purse, in case we need them."

I chuckled softly and squeezed my mother's shoulder.

The ceremony was simple and beautiful and both my mother and I needed the tissues she had stashed in her purse. My father scoffed at us, but when the vows were read, I noticed him wiping a stray tear away. He was a quiet man, but he loved his family fiercely and I knew that, if I would ever marry he would be a nervous wreck. The thought made me smile and I made a mental note to tell him soon, how much I loved him for taking me in, despite Renee's objections at the time.

After the ceremony we were all driving in a long line, back to the house of Emmett's parents. I had only seen Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme once, but they seemed to be very loving and the stories of Emmett and Rosalie backed that up. Their house was a beautiful white Victorian mansion, with a couple of modern twists, like the back wall of the house that was entirely made out of glass.

We were ushered to the backyard, where a big party tent was set up, decorated with beautiful white flowers and small twinkling lights. My mother, put her hand on my arm to stop me.

"Bell, look who's here," she murmured in my ear.

"Mommy!" I heard my baby girl squeal.

I turned around and crouched down. She came thundering towards me and flung herself in my arms.

"Hey, baby! How did you get here?" I asked, raising a questioning eyebrow at my mother.

"Uncle Jacob had to go to work and Aunty Leah wasn't home, so he brought me here," Emma said, pointing behind her.

I glanced over and sure enough, my babysitter for the day was heading our way.

"I'm really sorry, Bella. I got an emergency call, they need me at the station and Leah is in La Push, visiting her brother. His wife just had a baby."

"It's no problem. At least Em is wearing a nice dress," I said smiling.

My little girl squeezed me tightly. "I missed you mommy."

I gently stroked her hair. "Missed you too, baby."

Jacob kissed my cheek and told us goodbye, before he took off sprinting towards his cruiser. He and I met in when I just moved in with Charlie and Renee and after two disastrous dates decided to be friends. Jacob and his girlfriend Leah moved back to Seattle a couple of months ago, because his father had gotten sick and wanted to move back to his home-town. Jacob wouldn't let him go alone and Leah had not objected, because her family was from the area as well. I missed them both very much, but at least I still had Jasper close by.

I carried Emma into the tent. "Let's go find Aunty Rose and Uncle Em, okay? You need to congratulate them," I whispered into her ear.

She giggled and tickled my neck with her tiny fingers. For the second time that day, my thoughts floated back to the boy that I once knew. The boy that was my first love and the father of my little angel, but I quickly shoved those thoughts aside. Now was not the time to reminisce over the things I had lost along the way. I needed to focus on the future.

I moved towards the end of the line of people that were waiting for their turn to offer their support to the happy couple. Emma was looking around with wide eyes and suddenly she gasped and stiffened in my arms.

"What is it, baby girl?"

"Mommy, why does that man look like daddy?"

I swallowed hard and turned to follow her gaze.

It couldn't be, could it?

But I was wrong.

There he was. His bronze hair still as dishevelled as I remembered, his emerald eyes shining brightly. He had gone from the boy I knew to an insanely gorgeous man. His face had become more angular and from what I could see from across the room, his body had also changed into that of a man.

Edward.

"Emma, promise me one thing," I whispered to her.

"What is it momma?"

"Don't talk to that man before I give you permission, okay?"

She looked at me in confusion, but nodded slowly.

"Mommy?" she whispered, her hands cupping around my ear to prevent any sound from escaping. "Is that my daddy?"

I gulped and took a deep breath. "Yes," I whispered into her reddish brown curls.

I had no idea what to do and when I finally reached Rosalie and Emmett, the worry and confusion showed on my face, because Rose pulled me away from the line of people instantly.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"I can't tell you that right now. I'll talk to you when you return from your honeymoon, I promise."

She told me I'd better keep that promise and then quickly returned to her task as the bride. I quickly moved around the tables to find my seat. With shaky legs I slid into the chair and glanced around the table at the other cards. I would be sitting with my parents, Rose's parents and Emmet's parents.

Oh joy.

Not a single person my own age and not to mention the aunt and uncle that despised my very being. Of course I didn't know anybody here, aside from my parents and aunt and uncle, so I should really be glad they decided to place me with them.

"Emma?"

"Yes, mom."

"Promise me one more thing."

"What, mommy?"

"Please, don't say anything to other people about your daddy, okay? I know it's not nice to keep a secret, but I need you not to tell anybody, okay?"

She smiled sweetly at me and placed her hands on my cheeks. "Yes, mommy. I promise."

I smiled at her and hugged her close to my chest. A few minutes later the other guests went to their seats and the wedding party took their seats at the big round table closest to ours.

"Aunty Rose is so pretty," Emma sighed.

"She sure is," Esme, Emmett's mother agreed with her. "But you are very pretty too, little one."

Emma beamed. "Really?"

"Really. What's your name, honey?"

"Emma! Emma Swan and this is my mommy. Bella."

I smiled timidly and reached out my hand. "It's nice to see you again Mrs. Cullen."

"Please dear, call me Esme. But you say we've met before?"

"Only once. When Rosalie and Emmett moved out here, I helped them unpack and we talked very briefly."

"I'm really sorry but I don't remember. I have, of course, heard a lot about you and it's really nice to meet you. I promise I won't forget this time."

Emma giggled. "I'll help you remember," she offered.

I kissed the top of her head. "Sure you will."

She turned around to face me. "Mommy, can I go play?"

"Stay where I can see you, okay?"

She nodded, her curls bouncing wildly and her green eyes sparkling with mischief. I shook my head at her attempt to look innocent. She was as bad an actress as me, but I decided to give her some room. I lifted her off my lap and told her again to stay where she could see me and I could see her.

"How old is she?" Esme asked as we both watched her run to the dance floor where a small dark haired boy was dancing by himself.

"She's five. She'll be six in February."

"She is lovely. She has you features, but I'm guessing she had her father's colouring?"

"Yes she does."

"Where is the lucky father?"

I heard Charlie choke on a sip of wine, but I decided to ignore it.

"We lost contact before I found out I was pregnant, so I honestly don't know."

Well, at least I didn't know until today.

I was grateful that Charlie and Renee never saw Edward or the few pictures I regularly showed Emma, because there was no mistaking who he was once you've seen him. No matter how long ago those pictures had been taken.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. If you'd know where he was, would he want to be there for her?"

I smiled. She was genuinely interested and it was a nice change of pace. I would normally mostly get questions for the sake of gossip.

"I think so, but we haven't seen each other in over six years. People change, so maybe if he found out now…." I trailed off and felt my mother squeeze my shoulder.

"From what I've heard from Bella over the years, he would no doubt try his best to help her take care of Emma. She really loved him, but the circumstances drove them apart."

I smiled sweetly at her. She had resisted Charlie for two weeks, but one night I woke up from a nightmare and she was at my bed to comfort me. I told her all about what happened, and we've been thick as thieves ever since.

"That's so unfortunate," Esme said quietly.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but someone at the wedding table clanged the knife against a glass to draw our intention. Emma came skipping over and crawled into my lap.

I looked up and noticed that Edward was now standing.

"Dear, family and friends. As best man, I was ordered to make a speech by my lovely sister-in-law Rosalie."

My breath caught in my throat.

_Oh, no! He is Emmett's brother?_

My mother and Esme shot me a questioning look, but I shook my head and gestured back to Edward.

"The problem is, I have no idea what to say. I have missed out on a lot of their relationship, so I cannot give you embarrassing stories of their first date, the first time they kissed, or anything of the sort and that saddens me. But I have been fortunate enough to witness this unique love over the past two years. I have seen the way my brother can stare at Rosalie from a distance and look like he just won the jackpot every time. I have felt the comfort and love they radiate when there are together and firsthandedly experienced that once you break through the tough exterior of our Rose, she is a loyal and fierce friend. I could not have wished for a better girl for my brother. I have to admit that seeing you two together can sometimes make me a bit jealous, but then I pray that one day I might be as lucky as you two and you'll get a taste of your own medicine. Rosalie and Emmett, I wish you both all the best for your future and I hope all of your dreams and wishes may come true."

He raised his glass and the room erupted in applause. Emma sighed dramatically and turned to me. She covered my ear with her tiny hands again and leaned in.

"Daddy is really handsome. You should dance with him," she whispered with a small giggle.

I laughed lightly and hugged her close. I glanced up at the other table and caught Edward looking at me curiously. I smiled shyly at him and for a brief second recognition flashed across his face. He looked shocked and slightly disbelieving but eventually he smiled back.

My heart sped up at the sight of that crooked grin and realized I still loved him. I tore my eyes away from him and kissed Emma's curls. When I looked back up he was gone.

Dinner passed without another sighting of Edward and I was slightly disappointed. I chatted with my parents and Esme and Carlisle, while Emma boasted about her room at home and her friends at school.

After dinner, Emmett and Rosalie came over. "Has any of you seen, Edward and Lauren?" Rosalie asked.

"No, sorry honey. Did you need them?"

"Well, we'll be opening our first dance and I was hoping they would at least be there for it."

"I told you, Rose. Edward is probably busy dancing himself."

I felt sick to my stomach and looked down at the table cloth.

"Their loss," Rosalie muttered. "Let's just dance, Emmett."

She smiled at me and ruffled Emma's hair before they took off towards the dance floor.

"Mommy, can we go dance?" Emma suddenly asked, bouncing on my knees.

"Sure, we just have to wait until this dance is over."

She grinned and then proceeded to ask my father and mother the same question.

"Well, little miss," Carlisle spoke, leaning across the table. "It seems your dance card is getting full, but would you save me one?"

Emma squealed and clapped her hands. "Yes, yes!"

Esme laughed heartily. "She reminds me so much of my daughter, Alice."

"She's not here?"

"No, she's stuck in Paris for her job until next month."

"Ah, that's a shame. If she's like my hyper little girl, I'm sure we would've gotten along just fine."

"I'm positive," Esme said with a wide smile.

Emmett came to claim his mother for a dance and Rosalie invited her father. When I watched them, I noticed Edward and Lauren stumbling back into the tent. Lauren's hair was mussed up and her lipstick was smeared. Edward looked a little more composed, but there was no doubt about what they had been up to and I felt jealousy clawing at my insides.

I looked away and focused on the dancing couples. The group was growing and when the song ended, I immediately got up to keep the promise I had made to my daughter.

I held her in my arms and we spun around the floor, our foreheads against each other and whispering silly things, like we always did at home and for one glorious song I forgot all about Edward and Lauren coming back from a romp somewhere on the premises.

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_A/N: I discovered along the way that I had managed to get some inconsistencies into my story. It was easier to revise the first two chapters, so therefore I now replaced the old version with this one. The only change that has been made is how Jacob and Bella know each other. (It comes back in chapter 25/26.)_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, the plotline is all mine

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Chapter two

**Epov**

Today my brother, for all intents and purposes, was marrying the girl of his dreams. I only met her two years ago when they moved up to Seattle and at first we kept rubbing each other the wrong way and most family gatherings were tense and uncomfortable.

That all changes after a couple of months when Rosalie was brought into the ER when I was working. She had been attacked in a bar and landed a couple of solid punches before the bastard who had harassed her, knocked her out by smashing her against a wall.

Thankfully someone had come by just after he knocked her against the wall and had saved her from anything worse. That night she was having nightmares, so I woke her and held her while she cried into my shoulder. She explained to me what happened to her before she met Emmett and that the situation she had just been in, had caused her to relive all those memories.

After that exhausting night, we finally managed to be polite to each other and I told her a little about my gritty past to show her she wasn't the only one with a troubled youth. I never told her everything, though. There was only one girl I had ever opened up to completely. One girl who I had loved more than anything, but she was no longer in my life.

I hardly heard the ceremony. I was focusing on silently flirting with the maid of honour. She was perfect for a one night stand and it had been too long. I needed some release and I was going to get it from her.

In no means did I sleep around. I had the occasional one night stand, but not too many and never with a girl that looked like her. I always chose her exact opposite, so I wouldn't run the risk of thinking about her.

After the ceremony we returned to my parent's house and headed to the backyard. I was first to congratulate Emmett and Rosalie and they both hugged me tightly, thanking me for being there for them today.

They were in deep conversation about a girl named Bella and that Rose would've rather had her as a maid of honour.

I frowned. "Who is this Bella you guys keep gushing about?"

"I'll introduce you when she gets here. She's my cousin, but only in name. She was adopted by my aunt and uncle when she was sixteen and she and I are best friends. She really helped me after what happened with Royce and was the first to jump for joy when Emmett and I got together."

"You really love that girl, don't you?" I asked, amazed that we never talked about this before.

"We both do," Emmett said with a big grin.

"I'm looking forward to meeting her, then."

"We placed her with our parents together with her folks. So look for her there," Emmett said when the first guests came up to congratulate them.

I moved to the back of the tent and chatted a little with Jasper and later with Lauren. When it was time for us to take out seats I remembered that I had yet to meet this elusive Bella.

_Funny that she's got the same name as my girl. I wonder what she looks like._

I leaned over to Jasper. "Hey, Jazz. I talked to Rose and Em before and they mentioned a girl named Bella. Where is she seated?"

Jasper glanced around and pointed to the table closest to us. "Next to your mom."

I glanced over, but couldn't see her face, because she was leaning down to talk to a little girl with reddish brown curls, a shade darker than my own.

Lauren tugged on my hand then. "When can we ditch these losers?" she whispered in my ear.

"I'll have to make my speech first, but then we're leaving. I have a bedroom in that house back there that needs to be used again."

She giggled and we focused on our dinner. The mysterious Bella momentarily forgotten.

I made my speech a little while later and got a round of applause. I heard a light laugh from the table and my eyes shot up to locate the delightful sound.

My eyes met warm brown ones that were shining with love and something I couldn't register. I looked at her and deducted that this must be the Bella they all talked about. And the second that name trickled into my mind, her features really registered and I realized that she was my girl.

My Bella sat at that table with a little girl in her lap. I sat frozen, drowning in those eyes. She eventually averted her eyes and pressed a kiss on top of the girl's head. I looked at that little girl and gasped. The girls curls had my shade of reddish brown and her eyes were the exact same colour as mine. She was now looking at me and I quickly shot out of my seat and pulled Lauren with me.

This could not be true.

That was not my Bella.

That was not my daughter she was holding.

I dragged Lauren behind me and up to my room. She giggled the entire way and flung herself onto my bed immediately.

"Wow, Eddie. Are you so anxious for me that you couldn't wait until after the party?"

"Something like that," I muttered. "Now shut up and get on your knees."

Her voice was annoying me and there was one thing that was the best cure for that. She looked up at me from under her lashes and grabbed my belt to open it.

I didn't want to look at her, so I closed my eyes as she lowered my pants and took me in her mouth. I needed to get rid of the thoughts of Bella and grabbed fists full of hair to guide Lauren's mouth over my length.

When I was done I quickly fingered her to her own climax. She complained that I didn't have sex with her, but I told her in no uncertain terms that this was all she was going to get from me.

She shook it off and murmured something about my hands before sauntering back to the party. She didn't even attempt to clean herself up, which disgusted me even more. I could not talk to Bella now. My angel would never stand for my behaviour and I felt truly ashamed of myself.

I behaved appallingly and in front of Bella and her daughter no less. Maybe even _our_ daughter. When we stumbled into the tent, the wedding guests were already dancing. I saw Bella looking at me and I quickly dragged Lauren off to tell her to clean up.

When I returned to the dance floor the scene before me stopped my heart. There was my girl, dancing with our little girl. Their heads close together, murmuring and laughing. The girl definitely was mine. She looked too much like me to be anyone else's

I knew that I still loved Bella, but there was no way that she would still love me. She was too warm, sexy and loving to have been left alone for the past six years. She must've found someone new and even if she hadn't, she still wouldn't want me.

What I did over the past years was not something I was proud of. I had not had one significant relationship, but I had several sexual encounters, all in an attempt to forget her. How did I even begin to deserve her? My angel.

The song ended and Bella looked up. Our eyes met and my heart broke a little when I saw the sadness there. We had missed so much of each other's lives. I needed to make up for that, but couldn't.

I ducked my head and smiled apologetically at her. She nodded and then turned when my father laid his hand on her shoulder. He obviously asked her to dance and a blush crept up her face.

I had missed that blush so much that it was almost painful to look at now. Our little girl reached for a man with dark hair and a warm smile that was a few feet away. He took her in his arms and danced away, while my father glided across the floor with Bella in his arms.

I watched them float across the room until suddenly a pair of small hands covered my eyes, pulling my head back slightly in the process.

"You'll never guess," I heard a tinkling voice behind me mutter.

"Alice! How can you believe I'd never guess?" I accused, turning around to take a look at my sister.

"Edward! I missed you." she squealed, jumping into my arms, which was fairly easy for her since she was so tiny.

I hugged her tightly and stood her back on her feet.

"Can I have this dance, my dear sister?"

"Of course."

I pulled her onto the dance floor and we twirled around, talking animatedly about her time in Paris. She glanced around the room and she suddenly stopped dancing.

"Alice?"

"Edward, who's that, dancing with dad?"

"I believe that is the infamous about, Bella Swan."

"Excuse me?"

"Rosalie and Jasper's cousin."

"Oh my. _The_ Bella, Rose always gushes over?"

"One and the same, although I apparently never realised they talked about her that much."

Alice scoffed. "You never paid enough attention. You were always off into your own head, brooding."

Alice was right. I tuned out a lot when we were all together. Remembering a time when I had nobody and found the one girl that was my everything and I ended up missing the numerous conversations that had been struck up where that exact girl had been mentioned. How ironic.

My mother noticed us then and she rushed over to us, dragging Bella behind her.

"Alice, honey! You made it after all!" she gushed, pulling her into her arms.

Bella looked a bit apprehensive and our daughter leaned in to whisper something in her ear. Bella's eyes flashed to mine and she smiled, but shook her head at our daughter.

"Alice, Edward. I would like you two to meet, Bella Swan and her daughter Emma. Bella is the cousin Rosalie is so crazy about," my mother said.

Bella blushed and ducked her head, before raising her eyes to look at Alice. She shifted Emma onto her other hip and stuck out her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Alice," she said softly.

"You too, Bella."

"Edward," she murmured.

I took her hand in mine and the electric spark that was so common for us, flowed through my arm.

"Bella," I breathed, getting lost in her eyes like I had done so many times.

"Mommy, can I shake their hands now?" Emma asked.

Bella snapped out of her haze and allowed Emma to reach her hand out for Alice.

"Hello! I'm Emma and I think you are pretty," she said to my sister.

"O my gosh. Aren't you the cutest thing? Thank you, honey. You are very pretty yourself."

"Thank you. I look like my mom, but I have my daddy's hair colour and eyes," she stated, glancing over at me for a moment. Bella froze and attempted to gain Emma's attention, but she didn't acknowledge her mother.

_Did she know?_

"How do you know that, honey?" Esme asked.

"Mommy showed me pictures."

I couldn't stop the smile that crossed my face. I looked down at Bella who looked at me. Her eyes pleading for me to understand. I nodded once and winked at her. Her breath hitched, but she smiled back.

Emma was now turned to me and looked at me in wonder.

"Hello, Emma. I'm Edward. It's really nice to meet you."

She grabbed my hand and shook it hard. "You too!"

She beckoned me with her finger to come closer. I leaned forward and she reached up to place her little hands on my neck.

"You should dance with mommy."

"Do you think she'll say yes?" I whispered back.

She nodded and quickly retreated closer to her mother.

"Well, Bella. It seems that your daughter wants me to dance with you. Would you mind?" I said with as much confidence as I could muster.

She looked a little alarmed, but Esme reached for Emma and smiled at her.

"You go ahead dear. This little girl promised my husband a dance, so why don't I make sure she keeps that promise."

Bella nodded silently and handed over Emma. She smiled at her and told her to behave before turning back towards me. Alice was still at my side and she seemed to be bursting with energy.

I looked down and I noticed her eyes flickering from Bella to me and back in rapid tempo.

"Alice? What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing. I'll go find the bride and groom to congratulate them. See you around, Bella. It was nice to meet you."

"You too, Alice. And maybe you should try to get Jasper on the dance floor. He's the tall blond guy at the wedding table, sulking all by his lonesome."

Alice looked over and nodded enthusiastically. "My miss Bella. If that isn't the best idea I've heard in ages," she said in a mock southern accent.

The girls shared another smile before Alice darted across the floor to congratulate our brother and his new wife.

"Well, shall we?" I asked Bella.

She nodded and placed her hand in mine. I pulled her into me and started waltzing around the room with her. Being this close to her after all this time was almost excruciating, but I wanted to attempt to be friends with her, at the least and dancing would be my first step.

"How have you been?" she asked quietly.

"Lucky, I guess. I was only in the orphanage for two months when Carlisle and Esme adopted me. I knew I would be of a legal age soon enough and I hoped I could just walk away from them when I turned eighteen, but by the time my birthday rolled around, I was so happy with them as my parents that I stayed."

"They seem very loving and most welcoming."

"They truly are. They are a rare couple. The love they have for each other is staggering and I think that's why Emmett stuck it out with Rose after everything that's happened along the way. They raised him to believe that true love is worth the battle."

I hadn't meant to go all philosophical on my girl, but at least I was telling her the truth.

"How about you?" I asked her.

"I got lucky as well. I got adopted by Charlie and Renee Swan. They're dancing in the corner of there. They really helped me with Emma."

She didn't meet my gaze when she said it and I realized she was afraid to tell me I was a father. Did she think I'd get angry? How could I? She had no way of knowing where I had ended up or how to contact me. As I thought this, I leaned in closer and whispered into her ear.

"Bella from the moment I really looked at Emma, I realized she must be ours. I'm not mad at you for not finding me and telling me sooner, because in al honesty you would've never succeeded."

"But I didn't even try, Edward and that's something I've felt guilty about since the day she was born. My father, Charlie, is a cop and maybe if I had told him he could've tracked you down, but I never asked him to do that. I wasn't sure what to do. I was young and scared and eventually I decided that too much time had passed. That you wouldn't even remember me. I guess I was wrong about that, huh?"

I looked into those deep pools of chocolate and smiled. "I could never forget you, B."

She chuckled and closed her eyes.

"I probably shouldn't say this, but I've missed you so much," she whispered without opening her eyes.

"I missed you too, Bella. More than anything."

The song ended and reluctantly I let her step away from me. My body was still tingling from where I had felt hers against me.

I opened my mouth to say something else but was rudely interrupted by someone shoving Bella aside and planting a sloppy kiss on my mouth.

_Ugh. Lauren._

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_A/N: Like I mentioned in the first chapter, I had gotten some inconsistencies and it was easier to clear up by slightly altering the first two chapters. So this one is also slightly revised. The only change is in the way Rosalie and Edward get along. I originally had made them friends, but now they simply tolerate each other._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own none of these wonderfult chracters, that wonderful right belongs to Mrs. Meyer.

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Chapter three

**Bpov**

Watching that skanky Lauren attack Edward was not something I wanted to do, so I spun around on my heel and went to find our daughter.

She was currently twirling the floor with Rosalie on one side and Emmett on the other. A camera flashed several times and Emma giggled and squealed in delight. I saw Alice standing off to the side and walked over to her. If her mother was so certain we'd get along, why not talk to the woman, right?

"Hey, Alice. Did you manage to get mister mopey pants onto the dance floor?"

She smiled weakly. "Nope. He declined very politely and kept staring at you and Edward across the floor."

I snorted. "He did?"

"Yeah. He looked kind of peeved about the two of you dancing. Not sure why though."

"Don't even think about it. Jasper's always behaved like the brother I never had. He insists on making sure that a guy is good enough to date me. Not that I've had that many dates, but he does it anyway. It's really stupid."

"It's really just a brother-thing? Not an unrequited love?"

I looked up at her in surprise and quickly glanced over at the table when Jasper was nursing a scotch. He was looking at Alice now and didn't even notice that I was watching him. He appeared to be debating something.

"Alice, I think he just needs a little push in the right direction and I don't mean mine. Don't look, but he keeps staring at you."

Her eyes widened to humorous proportions and I couldn't contain a giggle.

"Really? No, you're just trying to humour me."

I held up two fingers in a V-sign. "Nope. I swear to god that he's staring at you. He didn't even notice me watching him."

She shook her head. "If he regrets saying no, he'll just have to come up here and tell me himself."

I smirked and watched Emma again. When her dance with her favourite aunt and uncle came to an end she squirmed out of their arms and sprinted over to me.

I caught her in my arms and swung her around, careful not to hit anyone in the process. Alice's tinkling laughter, made quite a lovely harmony with ours and we ended up in a fit of giggles until our sides hurt and tears were streaming down our faces.

Once Alice caught her breath she hugged us both. "Oh, girls. We are going to be great friends! How long will you be staying here?"

Emma was clapping her hands because she knew there was a chance that we would stay indefinitely, depending on the job interviews I had lined up for the next two weeks.

"Well, as far as we are sure of now, we'll be here for another three weeks so we can catch up with Em and Rose when they come back from their honeymoon. In those weeks I'm having three job interviews, so if it all goes well, we might be here indefinitely."

"That is so great! If you need help finding an outfit for your interviews, I'm your girl. I am a buyer for a local fashion magazine and we have tons of sample outfits at our office. With your figure I could suit you up in a heartbeat."

"That's really nice of you to offer, Alice, but I don't want to be a burden."

"Nonsense. It's all hanging there, wasting away until the end of the year auction. We might as well make some use out of them."

I promised her I'd think about it and excused myself.

"Mommy, I need to go to the bathroom," Emma said while I was heading back to our table.

I found Esme and she told me where to find the toilets. With Emma on my hip I made my way across the lawn to the house.

Emma was very quiet as we walked up the steps onto the deck and into the house.

"Mommy?" she whispered.

"Yes, baby?"

"Will you and daddy stay together now?"

I bit my lip, knowing the truth was going to hurt her, no matter that she didn't even really know Edward.

"No, sweety. He has a girlfriend and that's why we can't be together," I said softly.

She pouted and tears welled in her eyes. "That's really unfair. I want you to be daddy's girlfriend, not that nasty blond girl."

"What are you talking about, Emma?"

"That girl that pushed you away to kiss daddy. She's nasty." She stated confidently.

I rolled my eyes. "If you don't have anything nice to say, young lady, then don't say anything at all. Now go to the bathroom already. I need to go too."

She went in and closed the door behind her. I sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, bumping my head against it several times. Today was not what I had hoped or planned for and I got the distinct feeling that my life was about to become incredibly complicated.

When I sent in job applications for schools in this area, I never expected to actually get invited for three interviews, but I did and now that I knew that Edward lived here, I was confused whether or not to stay here.

If I wanted to give him a fair chance to be in Emma's life I would have to stay in Seattle or close by. But on the other hand, my parents lived in Phoenix, Jasper lived in Phoenix, Emma went to school there and had tons of friends.

Why would I uproot my life like that?

I had applied here because the kind of job I was looking for wasn't available in Phoenix. The only two openings were in schools where I didn't feel like I contributed to the minds of the students and I decided those were just not meant for me.

So after Jacob and Leah moved away, and Rose told me she and Emmett wanted to start a family as soon as possible, I had started thinking about Washington. I'd be close to my friends and perhaps I could find a decent job there. So I sent out my resume and application and waited.

But now, after today, all chances I was willing to take, seemed to shake on their foundation. I closed my eyes and took a few steadying breaths. I would file this mental debate away for tonight, when I was alone in Rose and Em's apartment and Emma was asleep.

Emma came back and I dashed into the bathroom. When I came back out I didn't see Emma, so I walked to the back of the house to see if she had gone to the door yet.

No Emma.

"Emma? Emma, where are you?" I called out.

No response.

My chest tightened a little. This house was huge so she could be pretty much anywhere. I focused on working through each room in a controlled manor, so if I would swipe the house one room at a time I would eventually find her.

I searched the back room, including hiding spots behind the curtains and in larger cabinets.

"Emma? Where are you honey? You're starting to scare mommy!"

I went into the kitchen, the hallway, the den, the living room, the music room. Still no Emma. I started to feel panic creep up in my throat and it started to mess with my coherency. What if someone was hurting her? What if she had hurt herself?

"Emma! Talk to me! Where are you?!"

I dashed up the stairs frantically searching each room, but still not finding my daughter. I was sobbing by now and I hurriedly took the next stairwell to the top floor. I threw open the door to a large bedroom and there in the middle of the bed was my little girl.

"Emma!"

I flew over to her and yanked her off the bed and into my arms.

"Don't you ever walk away from me again, young lady! You scared me!"

Emma's lip started to quiver and she started crying into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, mommy. Please don't be mad."

"Mommy's not mad honey, but you really really scared me when you were gone. I want you to stay where I can see you and not wander off on your own, okay? What if you'd fallen down and I couldn't find you? Or what if there is someone that hurts you?"

She stared up at my with tear filled eyes and scrunches her eyebrows together. "I'm sorry, mommy. I won't do it again."

I hugged her tightly once more and then glanced around the room. It looked like any other bedroom to me, but I was curious as to what Emma might have wanted to see in here.

"Em? Why did yo go to this room?"

She shrugged. "I climbed the stairs to the top and the door was open, so I went in. The bed looked soooo cool that I wanted to sit on it."

I laughed loudly at that. Thank goodness nobody was here to see this.

"What are you doing here?" came an obnoxiously nasal voice from behind me.

I spun around and was face to face with Lauren. "Emma decided to play hide and seek with me and I found her in here."

Lauren scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, effectively pushing her ample bosom half way out of her dress. "Like I am going to believe that after I saw you all over Edward on the dance floor?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, please. Don't play dumb with me, Bella. This is Edward's room and I'm sure that if he found you in here he would kick you out immediately."

I glanced around once more and committed the essence of the room to memory. A part of the missing six years had been spent in this very room and it suddenly felt important to at least see it all once.

After my sweep I ignored Lauren and strode out, with Emma still clinging to me crying softly.

"It's okay, baby. I'm really not angry and I'm not scared any more either so please stop crying."

She breathed out heavily and started playing with my hair.

When we finally made it back to the party I noticed that Edward was in my chair at the table with both out parents and my aunt and uncle, so I had no more room to sit.

The dancing was non-existent at the moment, because the band was on a break, so I had no idea what to do next.

I knew that after this break there would be the whole garter belt and bouquet tossing and then Rosalie and Emmett would take off for their honeymoon on some tropic island off the coast of Brazil.

_How annoying it must be to be Rosalie Cullen._

I snickered at my own thoughts, drawing the attention of a tall dark haired man with a bulky physique. He smirked and sauntered over to me.

"Well, hello there gorgeous. I'm Felix, who are you?"

"Bella, but if you'll excuse me I need to talk to my parents."

"Aw, don't go away, sugar. I just got here."

I was really feeling uncomfortable now, noticing that he was blocking me from view from the rest of the room.

Emma had quickly looked at him and then just as quickly buried her face in the crook of my neck.

"And you have such a beautiful daughter too. Where's the lucky bastard, I want to meet my competitor."

"There is no competition. I only have eyes for my girl's father, so forget it and let me by."

"Sorry, gorgeous. I just can't let you go. Not unless you kiss me first."

Emma stiffened in my arms and I desperately tried to get my heart rate down. "Look you seem like a nice guy, but I don't kiss random men at wedding's. Just let me pass and I'll be out of your way so you can focus on the _really_ beautiful women here."

He was about to say something else when Emmett came walking up and placed a hand on Felix's shoulder.

"Felix, my man! Why are you harassing my sister, Bells? She doesn't seem to want to talk to you, so just give it up already."

"She's not sure sister. I've seen Alice you know."

"I know. And I also know that this girls is pretty much Rose's sister and you know, Rose's sister is my sister now, so back off."

"Or you'll do what?"

Emmett shot me a worried look. "Bella, why don't you go to your dad and get him and Edward over here to help settle this, allright honey?"

I nodded and quickly stepped behind Emmett and walked around him to hurry over to our table.

"Dad, Edward, you have to go and help Emmett. A guy was being obnoxious and Emmett tried to talk him down, but it looks like he's just looking for trouble, no matter what."

They both gave a curt nod and headed to the two men who were still attempting to stare each other down.

I sank down on a chair and closed my eyes tightly. I did not want to see where this was going, especially if they started throwing punches.

Emma had relaxed the second we moved away from the tense situation and her steady breathing indicated that she had fallen asleep.

"Bella, you look dead on your feet. Why don't I take you and Emma to one of the guest rooms, so you can sleep. I'm sure Rosalie and Emmett won't mind if you take off a little early," Esme offered.

I wanted to decline, but Rosalie had been in hearing distance and placed her hands on my shoulders. "Bells, go lie down. Esme is right, you look like shit."

"Language, Rose," I scolded playfully.

"I think they're right, Bella. Your dad and I will pick the two of you up in the morning and then we can spend the day together."

"I don't want to be a bother."

"You won't be dear," Esme stated while placing a hand on top of mine.

They were ganging up on me and I started to feel a little peeved. I saw Alice nodding in agreement and knew I had lost this battle.

"Sure, lead the way. Although, I might know where it is. I've searched the house top to bottom for this little miss a little while ago. She decided it was a good idea to explore while I was in the bathroom."

Esme laughed heartily and pulled me up with her to take me into the house. She took me to the third floor and led me to a room that was on the left side of Edward's.

"Hmm. That's strange," Esme murmured while moving to Edward's door.

She opened it up and gasped in horror.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, obviously fuming.

"I am waiting for Edward," Lauren stated confidently.

I was glad she couldn't see me, otherwise she might have blown a gasket.

"Did Edward invite you to wait here?"

"Y-yes."

"I'll take that as a no. Get dressed and go back to the party. You're the maid of honour for crying out loud. Don't you know how to behave yourself? I will talk to Edward and if he tells me he wanted you to do this, I will let this slide. If he should tell me that he did no such thing, I will be obligated to inform your parents on this rather seedy behaviour. I know Edward is no angel and that he's made his fair share of mistakes, but I also know he wouldn't lie to me, so whatever he says is the truth in my book. Now I am going to show one of my guests to a guest room and when I come back to the party I expect you to be there to cover your duties as a maid of honour."

I really wanted to hoot because I was so in awe of this strong, powerful woman, but thought the better of it with Lauren a few feet away.

Esme quietly took me into the room and closed the door behind us.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Bella. Edward has not the best track record when it comes to women, but I know for a fact he would never request a girl to strip down to her underwear and wait for him in his bed. It was truly appalling"

"Don't worry about it, Esme. I just want to get some sleep, so I guess I'll see you in the morning?"

"I'll wake you in time for breakfast. Oh, give me a minute to get you something to sleep in for tonight."

I gently pried Emma's arms from my neck and lowered her to the bed. I was about to take off her dress when Esme came dashing back in.

She handed me a large T-shirt, a pair of boxers and a smaller T-shirt.

"That one's for Emma."

"Thank you Esme. I'm really grateful for this."

She waved my comment away and I quickly changed Emma into her temporary pyjama's. I tucked her in before stripping and hurriedly throwing on the T-shirt and boxers and crawling in next to my daughter.

I watched her sleep for a little while and then finally gave into the sleep that was calling to me.

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A/N: So, what do you guys think? There will be the first hints of flashbacks in the next two chapters and a few full flashback chapter later on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own none of it. All rights belong to Mrs. Meyer

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Chapter four

**Epov**

When Bella came up to the table she looked panicked and exhausted and I had to fight the urge not to lift her into my arms and carry her into the house to get her to my room and let her sleep. Preferably beside me.

But there were other things that mattered more and I took off with Charlie to check on the situation with Emmett. Together we ushered Felix out and we made sure he left for his home in a cab and his wife would be waiting for him, so he would have no reason to come back here.

When we got back to our table, Bella and Emma were gone and their seat was now occupied by Lauren. She had been clinging to me ever since I met her during the wedding preparations, but since our little interlude this afternoon she was acting like she was my girlfriend, or something.

I was about to take her to the side and smother that idea when my mom came up to me and dragged me out of the tent.

"Edward, did you ask Lauren to wait for you in your bedroom?"

"No. Why would I do that when we still have tons of wedding stuff ahead of us? She's the maid of honour. If I were to ask her that it's at least could wait until after Rose and Em left."

"That's what I thought. When I took Bella and Emma up to one of guest rooms I saw a light under your door and went to check it out. Lauren was in you bed in her undergarments stating that you asked her to wait for you there."

"That girl is relentless."

"Maybe you shouldn't encourage her by taking her up to your room in the middle of a wedding then," my mother scolded.

I felt truly ashamed now. It was bad enough that Bella had seen me come back and now apparently my mother had noticed too.

"I'm sorry, mom. I know I shouldn't have done that."

"You'd better get the facts straight with Lauren, because I think she assumes she is more to you than she really is. I know we never talked about the way you treat women, because I realize that most of the time the women you do this to are content with what little you give them, but eventually you'll run into someone like Lauren. She's the type of girl that clings onto any man that shows her some attention, because she's lacking that from others in her life."

I blinked a few times, taking in that information. "What do you mean? Like she doesn't have friends?"

"No. More like her parents only want to be around her when she manages to live up to their expectations and the one friend she has, has no one else and that's why they are stuck together while they hardly get along."

"How do you know all this?"

"I am perceptive, Edward. I have been paying attention to the people that have drifted around here for the past couple of weeks. Lauren's parents are snobs and they want everything to be up to their standards and she does not live up to that very often, judging by the nasty comments they make when their daughter isn't around."

"Shit. And now I have to tell her this was a one time thing."

I groaned just thinking about the conversation I was going to have with Lauren.

"Please, just wait until the bride and groom are gone. Today is their day and I don't want you to ruin it by breaking the news to the maid of honour prematurely."

"You're right, mom. You always are."

"Edward, can you just answer me one more question?"

"Sure."

"Why do you always go for the seemingly air headed, blond girls? You are such an intelligent man, with a kind heart and the girls you chose to have your occasional flings with are never in your league."

"I know. I...I can't explain. It's complicated."

"It's something that happened before you came to live with us, isn't it?"

"Yes and I really can't talk about it."

Esme looked devastated. "I wish that you would finally trust me with the things of your past, Edward. You never mentioned any of it. You've always smothered it. I hope one day you will tell me all that has happened to you, son."

I hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, mom. You and dad have been so good to me, but the things that happened in the past are complicated and they hurt and I never wanted to talk about it because I was afraid of all the pain that comes with telling the story, but I promise I will talk to you in the near future."

She looked up at me in wonder. "I'd like that, but I have to ask why the change of heart?"

"Because something happened today that reopened all my old wounds and unlocked memories that I had stowed away and I need to have an outlet for it."

"Talk to me tomorrow. I have the whole day."

"I need to talk to someone else first."

"Okay. Let me know when you're ready and I will take all the time you need."

"Thanks mom. Now let's get back. The garter belt is coming off in a minute."

She chuckled and together we walked back inside.

Later that evening, after most of the guests had gone home, I took Lauren aside.

"Lauren, I need to talk to you."

"Sure, honey. What's up?"

"Lauren, we've been flirting the last few days and this afternoon was great, but I need you to know that that was all it was. I thought I had made that clear yesterday, but apparently you are hoping it could be more."

She looked a little confused. Confused I could handle, heartbroken I could not.

"So...the little oral action was all we are getting?"

"Yes," I said, eyeing her warily.

"Well, fuck you, Cullen! I was expecting to at least get fucked thoroughly!"

"Can you keep your voice down?"

She snorted. "Fine. Whatever. You know something? Bella Swan doesn't even know who the father of her kid is, so be careful around her. You never know what kind of disease she's carrying," she spat, seething.

"You don't know shit about Bella. She's not the kind of girl to sleep around and therefore she most definitely doesn't have any disease. Besides, she knows who Emma's father is."

"Yeah, right. You've known her for a whopping three hours and she's already told you all about her pathetic little life? Don't make me laugh, Cullen. That girl was adopted by my aunt and uncle six years ago and she doesn't know who the kids dad is, so there. That's proof enough that she sleeps around without protection."

"O, really? You ever think that she was protecting the guy who got her knocked up at the age of sixteen?"

"Yeah, right. She might act like miss goody two shoes now, but I'm sure she wasn't before Charlie and Renee took her in."

I was about to tell her that she was wrong when someone grabbed my shoulder and yanked me back.

"Lauren, we all know that you are jealous as hell of Bella because she managed to finish college with a kid to raise, while you are still not finished. We all know that Bella is a sweet girl that hasn't been with a guy since she got herself pregnant and you have seen every member of the high school football club and the college baseball team, so just can it. You know you're lying through your teeth," Jasper hissed through clenched teeth.

Lauren screeched and threw up her arms. "Another member of the Bella-Swan-fan club, ladies and gentlemen. Does that girl have beer flavoured nipples or something?"

I growled and Jasper clenched his fists. Lauren shot us an incredulous look and sauntered off.

"Thank you for sticking up for Bella, man. I know you've just met, but you're right about her. She's a good girl."

"I know. It's written all over her face and in the way she's with Emma."

Jasper smiled a tight smile.

"What do you want with her, Edward?" he asked me, looking solemn.

"Doesn't matter. She lives in Phoenix, so I won't see her again after she leaves. I wouldn't treat her like the girls I've been with in the past six years, so there is no use for me to start anything."

"You might be surprised," he muttered before walking away.

I didn't feel like hunting him down to get him to explain, so I just went over to my father to tell him I was turning in.

When I got to the third floor I heard groaning from the guest room next to mine. I furrowed my brow, trying to remember who would be staying with us, but drawing up a blank.

"No!" Bella's voice tore through the quiet of the house.

Without a second thought I was in the room, flicking the lights on.

"Bella? Are you okay?" I asked, as I dropped to my knees next to the bed.

She was sitting up, her eyes wild and her face contorted in pain. Seeing her like that broke my heart. She looked like that after we ran away together, whenever she dreamed of that last night.

She pulled up her knees and hugged her arms around them, rocking back and forth while taking deep breaths to steady herself.

It was excruciating to watch. I used to be the one to calm her down after her nightmares and now she was doing it on her own.

"Bella, baby. Are you okay?"

She looked at me and her eyes softened. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry if I did."

"No, you didn't baby. I was just walking up to my room when I heard you."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"You've changed a lot in six years," she murmured.

"We were just kids then, Bella. You've changed too, you know."

"I know. Listen I don't want to wake Emma and I would really like to talk to you a little while. Can we maybe go downstairs?"

"Sure, come on."

I stood and held out my hand to help her up. When she slid out from under the covers I gasped audibly. She was wearing one of my shirts and my boxers and it looked so sexy on her that I felt and immediate tightening in my pants.

She smirked. "Let me guess. Your mom gave me your clothes?"

"Yeah."

"I thought so. I figured she wouldn't give me Carlisle's because that'd just be be weird for her and I don't fit into anything of Alice's so you were the last logical explanation, although your girlfriend might object."

"I don't have a girlfriend, so that's not a concern. No come with me so we can talk."

She looked a bit surprised and then disappointed, but followed me out of the room anyway.

"Won't Emma wake up?"

"Nah. Once that girl's out, she's dead to the world. You wouldn't believe the trouble I have getting her up for school in the morning."

She shook her head, smiling wistfully. I wanted to ask her tons of questions about Emma and her life during the past years, but I decided to just take it slow. Maybe I could get her to allow me to visit her in Phoenix after she left.

When we got to the living room, we were standing there staring at each other, much like the first day we met.

_August 1__st__ 2000_

_James and Victoria had left me home alone when they went to pick up my new sister. I was already peeved about it, because when they took me in last year, they promised I would be the only one. I didn't want a little sister that I'd have to look after._

_Neither of them told me much about this girl, besides the fact that her name was Isabella and that they'd be taking her home with them today. James had instructed me to help paint her bedroom. I had tried to refuse, but nobody refuses James. You do what he tells you of you'll have the bruises to show for it._

_At first I'd always take it too far, so I'd end up getting beat up, but these days I had managed to find the line and I stayed as close to it as possible, without stepping over. The last time James smacked me was four months ago and I was proud of that._

_I heard the car pull up and I sat up straight, attempted to tame my hair a little and adjusted my shirt. Victoria told me to look representable so I had put on a button down shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans and thankfully she had approved._

_When the door opened I rose to my feet and waited for them to come into the room. Trailing behind James and Victoria was a girl with long dark brown hair and big, doe like, brown eyes. Her heart shaped face was delicate and smooth and she was far closed to my age than I had expected._

_I stepped up to her and stuck out my hand. "Hi, I'm Edward. I'm your new brother."_

"_Hi," she said while taking my hand._

_When our skin touched, I felt an electric jolt shoot up my arm into my chest and I quickly released her hand._

"_You must be, Isabella."_

"_Please, just call me Bella. I prefer it that way," she murmured, while staring at the hand that had touched mine._

_James cleared his throat. "Edward, you take Bella up to her room and then show her around a little. Be back in the house at six for dinner."_

_I nodded, took her bags and trotted up the stairs. Her light footsteps following behind. When we reached her room I dropped the bags on the floor and turned to face her._

_This girl was going to be my sister._

_We stood there, staring at each other, not knowing what to say._

_Eventually I cleared my throat and asked the first thing that came to mind. "How old are you?"_

"_I'm fourteen but I'll be fifteen in September. You?"_

"_Just turned sixteen two months ago."_

"_Okay. How long have you lived here?"_

"_It'll be a year in two weeks. Let's take a walk in the neighbourhood so you know where you can find stuff while you're here."_

_She looked a little surprised, but nodded and followed me as I went back downstairs._

July 20th 2007

I reached out my hand towards Bella and pulled her onto the sofa beside me. When she complied I let her fingers slip from mine, but what I really wanted to do was to hold her in my arms.

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked her gently.

"I wanted to tell you what happened after we were torn apart."

"I'd like to know that and I want to talk to you about what happened to me."

She nodded and lowered her gaze to her hands which were clasped tightly in her lap.

"When I was brought back to the orphanage I was disciplined immediately. I had kitchen and bathroom duty for a month and I was not allowed outside or in the communal rooms. When the others weren't in our room, the woman that ran the place, Irina, would keep an eye on me. She would always tell me that I was sinful and that if I were to talk to the other girls I would corrupt them."

She drew in a shaky breath. "When my month was up I was allowed back outside and I even was allowed to join some of the older girls on a trip to the drug store for feminine hygiene products."

She snorted and shook her head, glancing back up at me. I knew what was coming, but I was afraid of what the people in that orphanage had done to her when they found out.

"Well, obviously that was the day that I realized I was late. I didn't want to rise suspicion so I bought a pack of tampons any way. When the girls and I were back outside I told them to wait a sec, because I had forgotten to buy chap stick for my dry lips. So I hurried back inside, bought a chap stick and a pregnancy test. I hid the test in the back of my pants and the girls and I walked back to the home."

"I waited until all the girls in my dormitory were asleep and sneaked into the bathroom to take the test. The second I saw it was positive I knew I had to get out of there. I went back to the room, bundled the few belongings I had into one of the sheets on my bed and I ran away."

"Thank god, you didn't stay there," I murmured.

She nodded and bit her lip. I could see that the memories were painful for her and to put her at ease I took her hand in mine and started rubbing circles on the back of her hand.

"I lived on the streets for three days. The night of the third day I walked into the wrong alley and was attacked by a man with a knife. He demanded I give him my money, but since I had none to give, he decided he would take something else."

I growled deep in my throat. "Please, tell me that didn't happen," I whispered hoarsely.

"No. It didn't. Charlie was on patrol and drove by when that man smacked me across the face. He pulled the guy off of me and took me home with him. He allowed me to take a shower and get a good nights rest as long as I promised to tell him what happened to me the next day."

"He was so kind that I couldn't bear to run away, so I stayed and told him all about James and Victoria. About Aro and you and how I had found out I was pregnant. I never gave him names because I thought it would be easier if I just left it all behind me. Charlie was and still is a man who takes decisions on his gut feeling and he started the paperwork for my adoption the same day."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I won noe of these wonderful characters just the plotline. The rest belongs to Mrs. Meyer.

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Chapter five

**Bpov**

Edward looked so torn when I told him about what had happened after he and I got separated, that I had a hard time continuing.

"Give me a minute and I'll tell you the rest. I promise it gets better."

He smirked. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"A glass of water would be nice."

He nodded and headed into the kitchen. I heard murmurs in the hallway and a couple of seconds later, Alice and Jasper came in.

"Oh, hey Bella. I thought you'd be asleep by now," Alice stated as she plopped down where Edward had been a minute ago.

"I woke up after a dream and couldn't get back to sleep. I was talking to Edward."

She smiled. "Mind if we join you?"

I shook my head, because I very well couldn't tell her we were having a private conversation. Nobody knew that Edward and I had known each other before today let alone what kind of history we shared.

Edward came back and froze on the threshold, shooting daggers at our two guests. To my surprise Jasper was glaring back at him, while Alice was still oblivious of his return.

He walked forward and placed a glass on the table. "Here you go, Bella."

"Thanks," I said as I smiled apologetically at him.

'Later' he mouthed and I nodded. Jasper had apparently noticed our exchange, because he suddenly leaned forward in his seat. "So what were the two of you talking about at this hour of the night?"

"The wedding, Rosalie and Emmett. That kind of stuff," Edward stated confidently.

"Then why the serious faces?"

Edward opened his mouth, but I silenced him with a hand gesture. "I told Edward I was adopted and that that was why I couldn't be Rosalie's maid of honour and then we got to talking about our adoptions. As you know my story isn't very cheerful, so forgive me if I wasn't smiling."

Jasper looked thoroughly pissed and now turned his glare to me. "And why would you trust him with this information when it took me over a year to get you to trust me like that?"

Edward growled and clenched his fists. "Because we were both in an orphanage in the Phoenix area and I know what a hell life in one of those homes can be," he snapped.

Alice looked between me and Edward for a moment and then suddenly gasped.

"Alice?" Edward asked cautiously. "What is wrong?"

"She... You... She's the girl, isn't she?"

"What are you talking about?"

"When you first came here, you had all those nightmares and you screamed some girl's name. Now I remember that it was Bella. She's your Bella."

I looked at her and then at Edward. I had hoped to talk to him some more before letting our friends and family know, but Alice just outed us.

"Yes," Edward whispered, while staring into my eyes. "She's my Bella."

I knew what he meant by that. He still loved me, like I still loved him.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Jasper interjected.

"Edward and I were both adopted by the same couple seven years ago. He's Emma's father."

The room was dead silent at that point. Jasper looked horror struck, Alice looked stunned but happy and Edward and I were eyeing them both cautiously. This was the calm before the storm and we both knew it. There would be a flood wave of questions, no doubt about it.

The first one to move was Jasper. He jumped up, yanked Edward from his seat and punched his jaw sending him to the floor.

"Jasper! What the fuck?!" I yelled.

I was by Edward's side within seconds and kneeling over him. "Are you okay, Edward?"

He looked a little dazed, but he nodded and slowly sat back up. I leaned him back against the sofa and stood to glare at Jasper.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on him!" I hissed.

"Why the hell not? Where has this fuck been in the past six years, huh? Tell me! Why has he not taken the responsibility for his daughter?"

"Do you really think that I'd be sitting here talking to him if he had walked away on his own volition?"

"What?"

"Sit your ass down Jasper. God! Why do men always act before they get the full story?"

I threw my hands up in exasperation. Alice got up and went into the kitchen to get some ice while I knelt back down beside Edward.

"You sure you're okay? Not dizzy, or nauseated?"

"No. I'm fine. I'll just sit here for a sec to nurse my bruised ego, if that's all right."

I chuckled. The last time he had told me this was when James had punished him for coming home past his curfew.

_**October 14**__**th**__** 2000**_

_It was a Saturday night and Edward had gone on a date with Tanya Denali. Tanya friggin' Denali. I hated her guts and she hated mine. _

_I was stuck here by myself because James and Victoria had been invited to a party by their friends Laurent and Alistair, a gay couple that lived down town in a huge penthouse._

_It sucked big time. Because I had only been in school for little over one month and I hadn't managed to make any friends and that's why I was sitting in a quiet house, with nothing to do._

_The month before school started had been great. Edward and I were shy around each other at first, but soon we discovered that we shared several interests and we fell into an easy friendship, but then school started._

_I was shy and Edward knew that, but the second I stepped out of his car I was on my own. Without a word he had left me behind in the parking lot, not so much as an instruction to get to the office. I was dumbfounded, but shrugged it off and went my own way. But when lunch came around I got the cold shoulder yet again. He didn't even smile at me when I passed his table._

_I had decided to talk to him about it on the drive back home, but when my last hour of the day was done I had found a note in my locker from Edward, with a five dollar bill attached to it._

I have plans. You can take the bus home.

_I was stumped. This was not the Edward I had known since the day I arrived at the Hunters. That Edward was warm and funny and caring. This Edward was a class A asshole._

_When he came home it was already time for dinner and afterwards he immediately shot up to his room to study. I finished the dishes and headed upstairs to confront him, but when I got to his bedroom door I froze._

_He was on the phone with someone and the things he said made my blood boil._

"_Yeah, I know. It's a total drag to drive her to and from school. She's fourteen for crying out loud! What do I look like, a babysitter?"_

_It was quiet and then he started laughing. "Yeah, when Tanya asked me to come to her house after school, I decided to just hand my little sis the cash and let her take the bus home."_

_I didn't listen any more after that, but instead went downstairs and asked Victoria if I could ride the bus until I got my driver's license so I would no longer have to inconvenience Edward. She and James were surprisingly compliant and promised me to give me the money every week in advance._

_That was little over a month ago and I still rode the bus to school every day. Edward and Tanya had been joined at the hip since that first day and every time I saw them together in the hallways it made my physically ill._

_Tanya was a bitch to all other girls, but to me especially. I don't know what I did to deserve her wrath, but every chance she got she shoved me aside, threw insults to my head or used one of her little lap dogs to embarrass me completely._

_But of course the biggest reason for me to damn her to the fiery pits of hell every day, was in fact that she was allowed to talk to Edward in school and she was allowed to hold his hand, allowed to kiss him and it made the jealousy claw at my insides every time I saw it._

_I had first realized this about two weeks ago when I saw them together in the hall way and Edward gently pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before giving her a sweet kiss. That day I realized I was in love with him. I knew it was wrong, because he was supposed to be my brother, albeit adopted ,and because he had a girlfriend. I also knew I would never stand a chance in hell, but despite that I was still in love with him and every day he didn't speak to me in school my heart broke a little more._

_So I was staring at the ceiling, contemplating my odd relationship with Edward, when I heard the front door opening and noticed James and Victoria coming in. I glanced at the clock and noted that I'd been lost in my own thoughts for a hell of a long time and I also noted that Edward was in trouble because it was almost fifteen minutes past his curfew._

_I immediately felt anxious. He wasn't here yet and James wasn't known for his leniency when it came to his rules._

_Victoria told me to go upstairs and wash up for bed, while James was simply glaring at the door. I swallowed the bile that was rising in my throat and padded up the stairs and into the bathroom._

_I had just closed the door behind me when I heard James' voice bellowing through the house._

"_WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"_

_I didn't hear Edward's response, but I assumed he had gotten delayed by Tanya._

"_THAT'S NOT A GOOD ENOUGH REASON!"_

_Again there was silence and then there was a loud thump of someone hitting the floor. I heard James stomping up the stairs and he suddenly was banging on the bathroom door._

"_BELLA, HURRY YOUR ASS UP!"_

_I jumped and decided to just forgo the usual night time ritual and quickly darted out of the room._

_James still looked furious but he thankfully paid me no more mind and went into the bathroom. Victoria was standing in the doorway to their bedroom and silently motioned for me to go downstairs._

_Usually when James had gotten pissed he would drag Victoria up to their room and they would have sex. Loudly and roughly, so whenever Victoria was able she made sure Edward and I were out of the house._

_So I darted down the stairs in search of Edward. He was sitting on the floor looking down at his hands._

"_Edward, are you okay?"_

"_Sure, sure let's just go around the block," he muttered._

_I shook my head and ran into the kitchen to grab an icepack and then hurried after Edward before the sounds form upstairs came._

_Edward was already at the corner when I caught up to him and without saying something he walked to the park on the end of the street. When we reached the swings he sat down and I silently handed him the icepack which he took and gingerly pressed against his jaw._

"_Are you sure you're okay?"_

"_I'm fine. I'll just sit here for a sec to nurse my bruised ego, if that's all right."_

_I sat down on the swing beside him and we waited in silence for an hour before heading back home and to our respective bedrooms._

**July 20****th**** 2007**

Edward had gotten back onto the sofa and I slid back into my own seat across from his. Alice had come back with an icepack and Edward was holding it to his cheekbone.

I looked up at Jasper. "You obviously don't know the whole story and I'm not going to give it to you tonight. Edward and I were in love. We ran away from the Hunters at one point for a reason I won't tell you until Edward and I have gotten our chance to talk about things. But the night we ran away we made love for the first and only time. We were young and stupid and we didn't use protection so Emma was conceived that night."

"James found us the following morning, still lying in each others arms. He and Victoria didn't want to have anything to do with us any more, so they sent me back to the orphanage where I had originally been placed and they shipped Edward off to some other place that I didn't know about."

Alice grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "So you were torn apart?" she asked looking at her brother.

"Yes. Neither of us knew where the other was placed and we never had a chance to find each other because we both had our last names changed once we were adopted," he answered.

Jasper looked a little remorseful. "But why did you never tell me, Bella?"

"Jasper, I haven't told anyone the whole story besides Charlie and Renee. I didn't even tell them all the names because it was just too painful. I had just lost my first and only love and found out I was pregnant with his baby at the age of sixteen. I was screwed up! I still am sometimes and forgive me for not wanting to tell you my sordid past when I never even had the chance to tell Edward dad that he had a daughter."

"I'm sorry for punching you, Edward."

Edward waved it off. "It's fine. It's good to know Bella has a boyfriend who takes care of her."

I snorted and Jasper guffawed. "Bella isn't my girlfriend you dickhead. I told you I was single when I arrived here didn't I? Bells is like a second sister. It's just the protecting urge I have. That girl is so selfless she'd put herself in danger if she could help someone she loved with it and that's why I look out for her."

"Sounds like my girl," Edward murmured in response, causing Alice's eyes to light up.

"I want to hear how you two got to know each other," she said excitedly.

"Alice, do you mind if we do that somewhere over the next two weeks? I think we still have a lot to talk about between the two of us and we need to tell the rest of the family as well," I told her.

"Of course. Sorry, I wasn't thinking. You can talk to me whenever you need to, or just keep me out of it completely. Whatever you guys need."

"Ali," Edward sighed. "Settle down. We'll tell you all about how we met and how we fell in love and all the romantic crap just because it's you. But Bella is right. She and I need to talk. We have six years to catch up on and a daughter I don't even know. Give us some time together."

She nodded and stood up. "I'm going to bed. Our parents are still talking to Charlie and Renee in the backyard so unless you want another round of twenty questions maybe you guys had better head upstairs as well."

I nodded and stood, followed by Edward and Jasper. We said goodnight to Alice and Jazz on the second floor and walked in silence up to the third.

When we reached Edward's door he gently cupped my face in his hands.

"I really missed you, Bella and I hope we can get to know each other again. Can I please take you out to dinner sometime this week?"

"I'll see when I can find a sitter for Emma and then I would love to have dinner with you. I missed you too, you know."

He smiled his heart stopping, crooked smile and lightly brushed his lips over my forehead.

I shivered involuntarily and pulled away from him.

"Goodnight, Edward."

"'Night, Bella. Sweet dreams."

* * *

_A/N: There will be explanations soon in the shape of several chapters completely written as a flashback. So please, tell me what you think._

_I love you all for adding me to your favourite lists and to your alerts and for those few who already reviewed, thanks so much!_

_Love, Mo_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All rights belong to Mrs. Meyer.

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Chapter six

**Epov**

The following morning I woke up to a shaking bed. I carefully peered between my eyelashes to make sure there is no earthquake going on and found my daughter jumping up and down on the other side of the bed.

I opened my eyes fully and she stopped jumping, looking at me, her head tilted to the side and her bottom lip between her teeth.

_Just like her mother._

"Morning, Emma."

"Morning, d..Edward."

"Where's your mommy?"

"She's still sleeping and I can't get her up so I wanted to see the pretty room again, but you were here."

I sat up and wiped the sleep from my eyes.

"Sit down, honey. Now what were you talking about?"

"When mommy went to the bathroom yesterday I went upstairs to look around and this was the prettiest room with the coolest bed."

"Did you do that last night?"

"No, silly. Yesterday after dinner."

"Oh. So, are you hungry or do you want to sit here for a little while longer?"

She shrugged. "Can I look out the window?"

I smiled and got up to open the drapes for her so she could see the backyard. The tent was being taken down at the moment and there was a flurry of people bustling around down there.

"Thank you." Emma said from the bed.

I turned around and found her buried under the sheets on my side of the bed and laughed.

_Just like her mother._

"You sit tight and I'll get us some breakfast in bed and then I'll wake up your mommy so she can join us, okay?"

"Yay!" Emma squealed.

I grinned and walked out the door. I hesitated at the top of the stairs and decided it might be better to tell Bella that Emma was in my room before I went downstairs. I wouldn't want her to wake up in a panic.

I quietly opened the door and padded to her side of the bed. I sat down on the edge of the mattress and looked down at her sleeping form. She looked so vulnerable like this. Almost like she was still fifteen.

"Bella, wake up." I cooed softly, while shaking her shoulder lightly.

"Shhh...Emma. Mommy want to sleep," she muttered.

"Bella, it's me, Edward. Wake up honey."

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at me, confused. "Edward? What are you doing here, is everything okay?"

"It's all fine, but I wanted to let you know that Emma is in my room and I was heading downstairs to make us some breakfast in bed. I didn't want you to worry when you found her gone."

"Thanks, Edward."

"If you want you can go in there with her and I'll just make an extra portion."

She moaned softly and the sound made my body jolt into awareness.

"That sounds like heaven," she said with a bright smile.

"Then heaven you shall have. Just crawl under the covers with Emma and I'll be right back."

I placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and went downstairs to get breakfast ready.

My mother was already in the kitchen working on a batch of pancakes.

"Good morning, Edward."

"Good morning, mom."

"How have you slept? Alone I hope?"

"Yes, mother. I was alone. I told Lauren how I felt about her and she seemed to accept it."

"Good. Could you wake up Bella and Emma, I almost have breakfast ready."

"I actually promised them I would make them breakfast in bed, do you mind if I take some of it up to them?"

Esme looked stunned. "Er...sure. Will you join us here?"

"I was kind of hoping I could join them and get a chance to talk to Bella. We got to talking last night after she woke up from a bad dream and I really wanted to talk to her some more."

"Wow, Edward. No offence, but this doesn't sound like you at all."

"None taken and you're right when you say it doesn't sound like me, but I promise to explain later."

Esme nodded and handed me a tray so I could pile on breakfast for my girls. Before I headed out of the kitchen Esme caught my arm.

"Charlie and Renee will be here in about an hour to pick them up. Can you make sure they know?"

I nodded and padded back up the two flights of stairs to my room. I silently opened to door and smiled at the sight before me.

Bella was on my side of the bed with Emma tucked into her side. Emma was sucking on her thumb and she appeared to be sleeping, while Bella stared at her with love and adoration, gently stroking her curls.

"Hey," I whispered.

She looked up at me and a bright smile lit up her face. "Hey, yourself. That looks wonderful. How did you get that done so quickly?"

I chuckled, placing the tray on the end of the bed.

"I didn't. Esme was already downstairs making breakfast, so I asked if I could bring some up for us."

She laughed softly. "I bet you've done that a lot, right?"

"No, actually I have never done something like this since we parted."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is Lauren your girlfriend?"

I looked at her saddened expression and my chest constricted. I put that look on her face and I was so disgusted with myself.

"No. No she's not. I know what I'm about to say will be horrible, but it was a one time thing. I never had and never will have any intentions of starting a relationship with her."

Her eyes lit up ever so slightly, but she still looked somewhat pained.

"Have you been with many women in the past six years?"

"Not many, but the fact that it were just flings without any attachment makes it seem so much worse."

"How many?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I just need to know. Please just tell me."

"I've dated about ten women during the past six years. I never got further than kissing with two of them, because they both wanted something I couldn't give them. So that leaves eight, which includes Lauren."

I didn't dare look at her, so I picked at my food instead. She was silent and breathed out heavily.

"It's not as bad as I was afraid of, but I can't say I'm happy to hear about it."

"I understand if you never want to speak to me again," I said quietly, still not meeting her gaze.

"No!" she cried out, which startled Emma.

"Mommy? What's the matter? Are you and daddy fighting?"

My eyes flew up to my daughter, who now held her hands tightly over her mouth, her eyes wide. Bella grinned at her.

"No, daddy and I aren't fighting. He was just being silly thinking we didn't want to see him any more."

Emma's eyes tightened as she looked at me and dropped her hands form her mouth. She shot up on her knees and placed her hands on her tiny hips.

"We are not going anywhere! Mommy and I are staying here for three weeks, maybe more!"

Bella started laughing and pulled Emma into her lap. "Come on, eat breakfast. Grandma and Grandpa will pick us up today so we can spend some time with them before they fly back to Phoenix."

Emma smiled and dug into the pile of pancakes that Bella had barely touched.

"O, before I forget. Esme told me your parents will be here in little under an hour to pick the both of you up."

Bella nodded and looked like she was contemplating something.

"What is it, love?"

"I think we should talk to both our parents before Emma and I leave here today. You heard little miss Emma and her slip up. If we try to keep this a secret longer it'll bite us in the ass in the end."

"I agree. I'll get dressed while you two finish your breakfast."

"I'm already done."

"Bella, please. You hardly touched it. Eat, I know you were longing for a nice breakfast."

She shook her head but took the third plate of the tray and started eating.

"See you girls downstairs?"

They both nodded with full mouths and I left for the bathroom, with a goofy grin plastered on my face.

They were going to be here for at least three weeks. Three weeks in which I could get to find out what Emma was like and if Bella has changed much since I was in her life. I desperately wanted more time than those three weeks, but we had to take things slow. Get to know each other all over again. Find out if I could be a dad to Emma.

I smiled thinking of the fact that she already called me daddy. Hearing her say that before had shocked me, but my whole body had been drowned in pride, awe and adoration. That was my little girl and she accepted me as her daddy without a second thought.

I knew I had my Bella to thank for that. She had told Emma about me, showing her pictures of me. Pictures nobody else ever saw, not even her parents, but she showed our daughter so she would know what her father looked like. I realized it must've been a painful thing for her to do and that only made me prouder of Bella and the way she was raising Emma.

When I was finished in the shower, Bella and Emma had already placed the plates back on the tray and I heard their voices drifting from the open door of the guest room.

I leaned on the door frame. "Ready?" I asked.

Bella lifted Emma to her hip and came over to me. "Ready as we'll ever be."

I grabbed her hand and we walked down to the kitchen together. Bella released my hand before we entered with an apologetic look. I understood why she did it so I just shrugged and motioned for her to go in before me.

My parents were sitting at the kitchen table with Alice and Jasper, talking quietly together.

Bella slid into the seat next to Jasper and they shared a loaded look. The wave of jealousy I had felt yesterday was absent now, and I was glad because I would've given myself away if it was still as strong now.

"Did you girls sleep well?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, we did. You have a wonderful home and I must say the choice in beds is sublime," Bella said sincerely.

Carlisle chuckled. "We spent three months looking for the perfect beds. In the end Emse settled on the beds we had seen in the third store we had visited on the second day of our search, can you believe that?"

Bella laughed. "Well it was a perfect choice, Esme."

"Thank you, dear. It's always nice to get a compliment on the house I've devoted so much time to. Now Bella I heard from your parents that you are looking for a job in the area, is that right?"

"Actually I am. I've got a degree in English and I've applied for teaching jobs in the area. I've got three interviews lined up during the next two weeks, so we'll see what happens."

Esme smiled warmly at her. "It'd be lovely to have you around. Rosalie and Emmett absolutely adore you and we are glad we've finally had a chance to meet you, Bella."

"Thank you so much. You are far too kind."

"Nonsense," Carlisle said, waving her objections away.

I was about to say something when the doorbell rang. My mother got up and returned a minute later with Bella's parents in tow. Bella nodded minutely at me and I smiled a tight smile.

I cleared my throat and all eyes were on me. "Could you please all sit down for a minute. I need to talk to you about something."

"Me too," Bella spoke up.

Emma must've sensed Bella's nerves because she cuddled up to her and started playing with Bella's hair.

Our fathers both looked worried and even a little angry and our moms just looked back and forth between Bella and I in confusion.

"Bella and I didn't meet each other for the first time last night. We met seven years ago."

"Edward and I were both adopted into the same family. He had already been there for two years when I was adopted."

Charlie gasped and stared at me. "You're her boy," he stated without hesitation.

I nodded and noticed the look of recognition cross Renee's face. Apparently Bella had been more forthcoming about her past that I had been.

"Can someone please explain what Charlie means with that?" my mother asked.

Bella opened her mouth, but I grabbed her hand across the table. "I think it's time that I tell this story. It's clear to me that your parents at least know the basics, but I never told my parents what happened. Will you let me do this? I really need to."

She simply stood, walked around the table and slid onto my lap, still holding Emma in hers.

"If you're telling them this for the first time ever, I am going to be right here."

Charlie and Renee smiled warmly at me. I never expected that, but I returned the gesture before turning to my parents. Renee reached over and took Emma.

"I'll take Emma for a trip to the store," she said quietly.

"Thanks, mom," Bella whispered back.

Emma kissed Bella and hesitantly reached out to me. I kissed her cheek and gave her a small hug before Renee took her out of the room.

With a deep breath I focused on my parents again.

"As Bella already said, we were both adopted by the same couple. Bella came in two years after they took me in..."

* * *

_A/N: The next couple of chapters will be entirely made up of flashbacks. Please understand that the story they tell their family will not be as graphic, but you all deserve to know all the details._

_Reviews are much appreciated._


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

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Chapter 7

**Epov**

_August 1__st__ 2000_

_After showing Bella her room I went downstairs and walked out the door, Bella tagging behind._

"_So, I think I'd better tell you the most important stuff you need to know."_

_She looked a little wary, but I knew I needed to warn her about James' temper._

"_James has a bit of a temper. When he gets mad he tends to hit whoever enraged him. So, a word to the wise. Do whatever he says if you want to stay out of trouble. The only thing worth getting into trouble over is if he's ever inappropriate with you."_

"_What are you talking about?" she asked in a small voice._

"_If he ever touches you in a sexual way I want you to do whatever you can to stop him. I have no reason to believe he would do something like that, but I've never seen how he is with young girls. He's usually quite forceful with Victoria, but she's his wife and I unfortunately know she likes that."_

_Bella paled at my words and sank to the pavement._

"_Hey, you okay?" I asked, looking down at her._

_She looked up with those big brown eyes and I could clearly see the fear there. I immediately regretted not easing her into this a little better, so I quietly sat down beside her and threw my arm around her shoulder._

_I involuntarily shivered when I felt her warmth through my clothes. She sighed and scooted closer to me, burying her face in my shoulder._

"_I'm sorry for throwing this at you like this, Bella."_

"_It's okay. I guess it was a little too much to ask to have a normal set of parents. I mean why would a normal couple want to take me in?"_

_I looked down at the top of her head on my shoulder._

"_Why wouldn't they?" I asked, genuinely confused._

"_Well, like my last adoptive parents told me, I'm too boring to have around. I'm plain looking and too shy for my own good. Besides I'm almost fifteen, normal couples only take in infants of toddlers, not teenagers."_

"_I guess I have to agree with you on the last part, but I'm not so sure about the boring, plain and shy part. I don't know you well enough to tell you whether or not you're boring. I don't think you're plain. You're a beautiful girl and I'm sure in a few years I'm going to go all big brother on you to guard off all the boys and begin shy isn't always a bad thing. You should look at it as being careful. If you don't trust people easily, you don't get hurt easily either."_

_She was now looking up at me and gave me a genuine smile that made my heart beat a little faster._

_~*~_

_The first day of school James asked me to take Bella with me. Bella and I had gotten to know each other over the past month, but I knew I had a reputation at school and I knew begin nice to my new sister would ruin the place I had managed to secure in that school._

_So when we drove up to the school I left Bella behind. It's never soon enough to let her fend for herself. She needed to toughen up a little._

_When she walked past me in the lunch room I ignored her, because some of my friends had made it clear that Bella was already considered a geek because apparently she was smart._

_Inwardly I cringed at the hurt look on her face, but I had a spot I needed to keep in this group. Before my last class ended, I received a note from Tanya Denali, asking if I wanted to come over to her house after school._

_Tanya and her sisters Irina and Kate were like royalty in this school, so of course I accepted. I quickly wrote a note to Bella and attached a five dollar bill to it. I hurried to her locker and stuffed the note inside so I could avoid running into her._

_The afternoon at Tanya's had been a total fiasco. She immediately attacked me once we got inside her house, pressing her lips to mine forcefully. I shoved her off me and glared at her._

"_What the hell, Tanya?"_

"_Aw, come on Edward. You know you want me."_

"_I don't. I hardly even know you."_

"_So?"_

"_Well, don't you at least want to go on a date before you kiss me?"_

_She simply shrugged and attempted to kiss me again. I deflected her and asked her if we could just try to be friends first. She begrudgingly agreed and we ended up watching a movie in a tense silence._

_When I got back home I avoided Bella. I hadn't missed the determination in her demeanour and I didn't want to talk to her about ditching her today. I had been too soft on her to begin with. I wasn't someone she should trust. What I had done after I had lost my parents were killed was inexcusable and sweet little Bella was an angel that shouldn't be tainted by her contact with me._

_I heard her footsteps on the stairs and I quickly picked up my phone. When I was sure she was at my door I decided to give her a little show of my inner asshole._

_I pretended to be on the phone._

"_Yeah, I know. It's a total drag to drive her to and from school. She's fourteen for crying out loud! What do I look like, a babysitter?"_

_I stayed quiet for a second and then started laughing. "Yeah, when Tanya asked me to come to her house after school, I decided to just hand my little sis the cash and let her take the bus home."_

_Thankfully that was enough for her to walk away._

_I felt like a cad, but I reasoned that it was for the best if we didn't become any closer. So I continues to ignore Bella most of the time. I started going out with Tanya and after a few dates we kissed again. It wasn't spectacular, but it was Tanya._

_I had noticed that Bella's behaviour was getting more and more quiet and I wondered if I was the cause of it. I tried talking to Tanya about it a few times, but she usually brushed it aside or distracted me by kissing me._

_But one day I found out why Tanya had ignored my attempts to talk about Bella. I had seen Tanya shove Bella and I heard her sneer at her to stay out of her way. Bella just swallowed and gathered her things before getting up and half running to her next class. I hadn't been spotted and I got a little closer to Tanya who was talking to Irina._

"_Can you believe that little insignificant little girl has Edward so preoccupied? I mean, look at her. She's a lost cause."_

_Irina cackled, but I hardly heard it through the pounding of blood behind my ears._

_Tanya was retaliating against my Bella because I talked about her when I was with her?! That was it. Our date tomorrow would be our last._

_The following evening I drove over to Tanya's house and we drove out to one of the quiet lanes where kids went to make out. When she went to unbuckle her seatbelt I stopped her._

"_Tanya, we need to talk."_

"_What about?"_

"_You and I aren't working out. We need to stop seeing each other."_

"_Excuse me? Are you dumping me?" she screeched._

"_Yes."_

"_Is this because of that little slut that lives with you?"_

"_Bella's not a slut and it's not about her."_

"_Yeah, right! She's been all you've been talking about lately. Bella is doing so great in school, Bella's really becoming quiet, do you think I did something to make Bella sad? Bella, Bella and more fucking Bella! You are unbelievable!"_

_My jaw dropped when I realized that the great Tanya Denali felt threatened by Bella. She was jealous._

"_We are not breaking up, or I will announce to the whole school that you are banging your little sister."_

"_You wouldn't!"_

"_Try me!"_

"_If you do that I will send out the proof I have of you blowing our English teacher for a better grade."_

_She gasped and her eyes widened. "What?! There is no proof!"_

"_Yes, there is. Sam was in the hallway and filmed the whole thing. He threatened to go public with it so I bought it off him to keep you safe."_

"_No, you can't show that to anyone! Please! It would ruin me."_

"_I know and I really don't want to do that. I don't want to have to stoop to that level, but I will if you force my hand."_

_She crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "Fine. We're through."_

"_And you stop harassing Bella."_

"_I knew it was about her!"_

"_No, it's not. It's just a condition I have and that you will meet."_

_She nodded curtly and I started the car to drive her back to her house. When we arrived there I noticed I was late and I cringed at the thought of what was waiting for me at home._

_Sure enough when I came home James was already waiting for me. Victoria silently went up the stairs, already knowing what would follow for her after this._

_He yelled at me where I had been and I told him I had broken up with Tanya. He didn't care what reason I had anyway, he punch me no matter what. So I took the blow and fell down on the ground._

_He stomped up the stairs and yelled at Bella to get out of the bathroom. She came darting down the stairs. She grabbed an icepack from the freezer for my face. Always so thoughtful and caring. When we sat side by side on the swings I realized why I had never wanted to kiss Tanya. Why I had never felt anything but fondness for her. _

_I was falling in love with Bella and it scared the shit out of me._

_~*~_

_The following months went by in a haze. I was trying to be a little nicer to Bella in school without alerting anyone to my growing affection for her and she seemed to feel better too. When we were at home, we would be around one another constantly and we found ourselves back in the easy companionship we'd shared before we started school._

_The holidays past without the usual depression for me and I was grateful for it. I knew I might not be so lucky next year, so I just basked in it while it lasted._

_It was mid January when I was violently yanked out of my haze. There was a dance coming up and I overheard a couple of guys in my class discussing who they'd ask to the dance. I didn't pay attention until someone mentioned Bella._

"_I'd love to see that fine little ass all dolled up and on my arm. She's really growing into a woman, ya know?"_

"_Yeah, but she's Edward's sister, man. Don't go there."_

"_She's not his real sister you dick head. Besides, he treats her like crap most of the time, so why would he care?"_

_I glared at the backs of their heads and silently followed them into the lunch room. I slid into a seat where I could see Bella and watched as the guy with the big plans approached her._

_He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. I clenched my hands to fists under the table and checked her expression for how she felt about his invitation._

_She was blushing, but it wasn't one that showed she was flattered, it was an angry blush. I knew that one too well, so I unclenched my fists and sat back to see what she was going to say._

_She slowly rose out of her seat, glowering at they guy, who actually looked intimidated by her. I bit back a snicker at his frightened expression. He was such a pussy. If anything Bella looked sexy when she was angry._

_She said something in a low voice so I couldn't here it, but the guy leaned in again to say something and that apparently triggered the volume._

"_You foul mouthed bastard! What sain girl would even consider that sickening proposal! You are disgusting!"_

_He tried touching her shoulder, but she pulled back and slapped him across the face._

"_Keep your filthy paws to yourself!"_

_With that she stomped out of the room. I shot up out of my seat and ran after her._

"_Bella!"_

"_Stay away from me, Edward!" she shouted over her shoulder._

_I saw the tears on her face and ran harder to catch up with her. I grabbed her arm when she was within reach and pulled her to my chest._

"_Shhh... It's okay, baby. Shhh... Please, don't cry."_

_She sobbed into my shoulder, clutching my t-shirt in her small fists. I gently rubbed her back and held her close to me. I knew it was awful, but I felt whole in that moment. Having her in my arms I felt complete._

_I glanced down at my watch. It was almost time for our next class and I made a snap decision._

"_Bella, we're ditching. James is out of town for three days so I can get a note from Victoria about our absence. You and I are going to get out of here for a while and take a little breather."_

_She looked up at me from under her lashes and smiled a small smile. "I'd like that," she whispered._

_I smirked and took her hand in mine, pulling her along to my car. We pulled out of the lot when the bell sounded._

_I drove around for a little while, not knowing exactly what to do or where to go._

"_Victoria's at work, right?"_

"_Yes, why?"_

"_Why don't we just go home? Then I can get into my sweats and cuddle up with a good book."_

"_Can I join you?"_

"_In my sweats?" she asked, her eyes dancing with mirth._

"_No, silly. Cuddled up with a book. We can cuddle up together on the couch and each read a book."_

"_Sure, why not?"_

_I smiled and took her hand in mine, absent-mindedly playing with her fingers while I drove._

_We were indeed cuddled up on the couch together half an hour later. Bella was resting between my legs, with her back against my chest. Her head was tilted back onto my shoulder. One of my arms laid across her belly and I gently traced small circles right under the hem of her shit on her soft warm skin, basking in her closeness._

_I held the book in the other hand, but I couldn't focus on the words with Bella pressed so tightly against me. So after a little while I just tossed the book aside and wrapped my other arm around her as well._

_She turned her head to look at me and smiled. "Thank you," she breathed._

"_What for?"_

"_For taking me out of there. I really needed that."_

"_Will you tell me what he said?"_

"_It's stupid."_

"_Please, I would like to know why I am kicking his ass in the morning."_

"_Edward, no! I don't want you to get into trouble. If James hears about you getting in a fight he'll really bust you up and I can't stand that, Edward."_

_Her eyes were intense and pleading. "Fine, I won't touch him, but I'll tell him to stay away from you from now on."_

"_Okay, I guess you can do that. What are you going to say, though? Stay away from my little sister? Won't that be weird?"_

"_It would be if I'd chose to say that, but honestly I don't see you as a sister, Bella, but quit dodging my question. What did he say to you?"_

_She groaned and tossed her book to the side. She faced away from me again and took a deep breath. "He came up to me and leaned down to whisper in my ear. He said 'Hey, babe. You look sexy today, but I'd bet you look even hotter in this little red dress I've been thinking of buying for you.'"_

_I had to bite back a growl and motioned for her to continue. _

"_I tried to stay polite, but I was already pissed off, so I told him that I was not interested in his red dress or him and that he needed to leave me alone. Then he decided to have a steel plate in front of his head, because he has the audacity to ask me to the dance so her could watch me grind on him on the dance floor. Yuck!"_

_I laughed lightly, because I remembered the rest of their exchange._

"_I'm glad you could handle yourself in there."_

_She shrugged one shoulder._

_I squeezed her against me a little tighter and kissed her top of her head, inhaling the wonderful strawberry smell of her shampoo._

_She sighed contentedly and snuggled in closer._


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: The rights to these characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

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**_

Chapter 8

_**Bpov**_

_**February 14**__**th**__** 2001**_

_Edward and I had been growing closer and closer ever since the disastrous date invitation and we had gotten into a habit of sitting close together on the couch when we had the house to ourselves. Mostly we just enjoyed each other company without speaking, but sometimes we would get into discussions about music or movies or books. I loved every minute of it._

_It was Valentine's day and since I still hadn't made any friends, let alone gotten myself a boyfriend, I didn't have any plans. Edward hadn't been interested in girls much after he broke up with Tanya, so he was going to be at home too. James and Victoria had decided to go away for a couple of nights and tonight was the first night they'd be gone._

"_Remember, no parties! If I find out you've had one I'll make sure none of your friends ever sets foot in this house again," James warned us._

"_There's money for food in the jar on the counter. You kids look out for each other, okay?" Victoria asked sweetly._

"_We will, have fun," I replied._

_James smiled a genuine smile and pulled Victoria out of the door._

"_What has gotten into James?" Edward asked when we heard the car speed away._

"_Don't know and don't want to either. Let's just enjoy this good mood while it lasts, okay?"_

"_Absolutely."_

_I grinned and threw my arms around his neck. I stood on my toes and touched my nose to his chin._

"_Do you realize that we have this place to ourselves for four whole nights? We can do whatever we want."_

_He tilted his head down and smiled that crooked smile of his. I suddenly realised how close his lips were and my breath hitched. Unconsciously I licked my lips and I saw his eyes dart to my mouth._

_When he looked back into my eyes his had darkened significantly. He slowly lowered his head, asking my permission with his eyes. Instead of acknowledging the question I simply closed the remaining distance and softly pressed my lips to his. He slid one of his hands into my hair and the other snaked around my back to hold me closer to him._

_I fisted my hands in his hair and he slowly increased the pressure. My heart was pounding in my chest, the electric current humming through my veins like wildfire._

_His lips moved with mine in perfect synchronisation and I felt his tongue lightly brush along my bottom lip. __I allowed him entrance and our tongues met in a slow rhythm. We kissed deeply for several long minutes before Edward pulled away._

_We were both panting and staring at each other in wonder._

"_You don't know how long I've waited to do that," he whispered huskily._

"_I know that I've waited for it since October."_

_He smiled lovingly at me. "Me too."_

_I couldn't stop the grin that spread across my face and he grinned right back._

"_Bella, will you be my Valentine?"_

_I laughed and smacked his arm. "Be careful there, Edward. If anyone hears you say something that corny, your precious reputation would be shot to hell."_

"_I don't care any more. I just want to kiss you again."_

_I shook my head but pulled his mouth back to mine for another slow and sensual kiss. He reached down and placed his hands just under the swell of my bottom and lifted me, so I had to wrap my legs around his waist._

_I moaned softly when I felt his arousal press against my centre and he pulled back, staring intently into my eyes._

"_Bella, can I take you up to my room and hold you in my arms in my bed?"_

_I tensed a little and he of course felt it. "I don't want to do anything more than what we're doing now, but I'd like to get a little more comfortable."_

_I grinned at that and nodded. He smiled, pecked my lips an hurried up the stairs, with me still clinging to him. He kicked open his bedroom door and gently laid us down._

_He stared at me with such loving eyes that my breath caught in my throat. His fingers traced the lines of my face reverently and left a fiery tingling in their wake. He then dipped his head and peppered my face with soft butterfly kisses._

_I sighed contentedly and ran my fingers through his hair, something I had wanted to do since the first day I saw him. He hummed in appreciation and caught my lips again in a kiss._

_We lay side by side, caressing each other quite chastely and kissing until we ran out of breath for a few hours. I started getting drowsy so I kissed Edward and told him I'd go to bed._

"_Okay. Good night, Bella," he whispered in my ear._

_I sighed and kissed him one more time before getting off the bed and walking over to my room. As I got undressed and put on my pyjama's I frowned, thinking of lying alone in my bed tonight after I'd been in Edward's arms all night._

_But I had told him I'd go to bed and that's what I was going to do. Besides, wasn't it a bit too soon for us to be sleeping in the same bed?_

_With a resigned sigh I slid under the sheets and curled up on my side, attempting to sleep. I tossed and turned for an hour before giving up and throwing my blankets off with a huff. When I heard a gasp from my doorway I shot up in bed and stared at a shocked Edward._

"_Edward? What are you doing here?"_

"_I-I..," he gulped and I realised that her was staring at my body._

_I glanced down and felt my cheeks flame in embarrassment as I saw that my tank top had ridden up till just under my breasts and my lacy boy shorts were now completely uncovered. I tried to yank up the sheets, but Edward was fisting them in his hands, leaning towards me._

_His eyes were darkened with lust and I shivered in anticipation._

"_You are so beautiful, Bella," he breathed._

_I swallowed hard and tentatively stroked the knuckles of his right hand. He released my sheets and flipped his hand around so he could grab mine in his own. I tugged lightly and he knelt on the end of my bed. Our eyes were locked and we were both breathing heavily._

_He released my comforter, which he still had been holding with his left hand and gently cupped my cheek. I felt heat course through my veins and all I could think of was kissing him, feeling him close to me._

"_Can I kiss you, Bella?"_

"_Yes," I murmured before cupping the back of his head and pulling him towards me._

_Our lips crashed together and Edward didn't waste time getting his tongue into my mouth so he could caress mine. He gently pushed me backwards until I was lying on my back with him hovering over me._

_I ran my hands down his back as far as I could reach and trailed them back up so I could run my fingers through his hair. He groaned into my mouth and lowered himself onto me, pressing his hard member into my core. __I arched off the bed and moaned. The feel of his arousal where I wanted him most made my head spin._

"_God, Bella...You're so beautiful. I want you so bad, but we have to stop."_

"_Why?" I whined in my lust clouded state._

"_Because if we continue we'll do something neither of us is ready for."_

_I moaned and bucked my hips up against him, earning a low growl which turned me on even further. I pulled his head back down and kissed him hard. I let my tongue sweep his bottom lip before sucking on it and gently nipping at it._

_He suddenly reached for my shoulders and pushed me down while he pulled back and I felt tears instantly forming._

"_Bella, I want you. I want you badly, but we can't do this. We've only just kissed for the first time today. I'm not ready to do more than kiss you and hold you close to me. I think you're not ready for more either. Please, Bella. Don't be upset."_

_I bit my lip but the tears refused to leave. Instead they spilled over. Edward sighed and wiped them from my cheeks. He flipped over and pulled me onto his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and held me while I cried softly._

_I knew I was being irrational, but I didn't care. I was so far gone that I had been ready to give him whatever he wanted to take from me, including my virginity. Edward was just being sweet and decent and in my hazed state I blamed him for that. When I calmed down I realized how silly I was being and felt mortiffied for practically begging him to sleep with me._

"_I'm sorry," I whispered into his chest._

"_There's nothing to be sorry about, Bella."_

_I looked up at him and sighed again. He looked so mature and I was behaving like a sulking child._

"_I'm sorry for behaving like a spoiled brat. I know you're just being a gentleman and I appreciate that. I've never felt like this before in my life. I have never kissed a boy before, let alone in the way we just did. I don't know what I should and should not feel or do or whatever."_

"_Bella, you should only do what feels right and there is nothing that you should or should not feel. Anything you feel is right, don't let anybody ever tell you any different, okay? We're both just not ready to take things further."_

"_I hate that you're right, but you are."_

_He smiled an kissed me sweetly. "I'm sorry for being right. And I'm sorry for doing what I did before we kissed. I shouldn't have stared at you like that. I couldn't sleep and was just coming into your room to see if you were sleeping when you tossed the sheets back. I was just frozen in place... You are so beautiful."_

"_Thank you, but there's no need to apologize. I was about to go to you and ask you if I could sleep next to you tonight. I felt so cold and lonely."_

"_Me too. So can I stay here beside you?"_

"_Yes, please do."_

_He kissed me one more time before releasing me from his hold and rolling me off of him. "Go lie on your side, I'll lie behind you and hold you."_

_I kissed him and turned to my side. I felt him cuddle up behind me and drape an arm over my waist, pulling me even closer._

"_Goodnight, Bella."_

"_'Night, Edward."_

_The next morning I woke up in an empty bed. I felt disappointment wash over me and closed my eyes against the tears. I took a few deep breaths to fight them off, but they threatened to take over._

"_Good morning, love." I heard from the doorway._

_I slowly opened my eyes to find Edward standing there with a mug of tea and a plate with a few pieces of toast. He sat down on the edge of the bed and motioned for me to sit up. I did and took the plate and mug from him._

"_I woke up very early and couldn't sleep any more, so I went downstairs to go for a run. We have to get to school in an hour, so I decided to make you some breakfast. Did you sleep well?"_

_I nodded. Last night was the first night in a long time that I didn't have nightmares of the night I ended up in the hospital._

"_Me too. I haven't had a good night sleep in years. Not since my mother died and my father was taken to the mental hospital."_

_I looked up at him in surprise. All this time we had spent together, he never talked about his parents or how he got into the system._

"_What happened?"_

"_I'll tell you after school. And talking about school. I think it would be better if nobody found out about us for now, okay? I'm not sure what James and Victoria will say when they find out and I want to be sure about that before we take the shit from our classmates, okay?"_

"_I think that's better, but do you really think we should tell James and Victoria?"_

_He shrugged. "Not sure. You and I both know what he's like when he gets pissed. Maybe we should explain to Victoria first. She always seems a bit more understanding."_

"_I guess."_

"_They'll find out sooner or later, because if we can't be together in school, we'll have to sneak around at home and we'll eventually get caught."_

_I bit my lip. I didn't want to think about the repercussions if we would attempt to go behind James' back._

"_Fine, we'll talk to Victoria and if she says it'll be okay to explain this to James, then we'll do that."_

_A smile crept over his face and my heart rate sped up. He leaned forward and kissed me slowly, leisurely._

_When he pulled back he chuckled and pointed to my food. "Get a move on, we'll leave in about forty five minutes."_

"_You mean to tell me that you're driving me?"_

"_Of course."_

_I raised my eyebrows to show him that there was no of course about this. He looked a little embarrassed._

"_Did you hear me that night?"_

"_Yes. Why else did you think I'd take the bus?"_

"_I made it all up. I felt like an ass for ditching you that day and I didn't want you to call me on it, so I pretended to be on the phone."_

_I furrowed my brow. "That's just stupid. Why did you act like an asshole anyway?"_

"_Bella, we need to talk, but we don't have time for all that now. We'll talk this afternoon, now eat and get ready for school."_

_I nodded and he left my room again. I scarfed down the toast and quickly drank the tea before hopping out of bed and hurrying to the shower._

_The drive to school was quiet and filled with sneaky glances and soft touches. Edward pulled over about a block from school and turned to me with a serious expression._

"_If anyone gives you any grief, I want you to come to me. We both need to try and ignore each other as much as possible, but I can at least protect you if people are bothering you without rising any suspicion."_

"_I'll be fine on my own, Edward. But I promise if there is something I can't handle, I'll come find you if I can."_

_He smiled and looked all around to see if there was anyone we knew around. Apparently he was satisfied because he leaned in and gave me a quick kiss._

"_I hope I can manage to hold out until after school," he muttered while driving the remaining distance to school._

_When we arrived we didn't give each other a second glance and went off to our own separate classes. I slid into my seat in English and tried my hardest to focus, but kept getting distracted by the memories of last night._

_When the bell rang I got up to go to my next class, but was stopped by a blond haired girl. I was not entirely sure, but I thought she was one of Tanya's sisters._

"_Hi, I'm Kate. You're Bella, right?"_

"_Yes. Why do you ask?"_

"_Well, I overheard some of the stuff my sister has been saying about you and I wanted you to know if you ever need a hand you can come to me. Tanya is a bitch. I don't care that she's my sister because her and Irina give our family a bad name. Their both bitchy and they sleep with anyone that's interested," she cringed. "I just wanted to warn you that Tanya's pissed that Edward drove you to school today. So if she does anything stupid, just tell me. I have the best possible material to retaliate."_

"_Wow, Kate. I'm not sure what to say. Thanks, I guess."_

"_You're welcome. I don't see why you don't have any friends, because you're a really sweet girl. Can I be your friend?"_

_I smiled. A friend. The first one since I arrived. "Sure. What's your next class?"_

_Kate chuckled. "We're already late for our second period. You want to ditch it completely with me? I'll make sure neither of us gets in trouble over it. My dad has connections," she said with a waggle of her eyebrows._

_I laughed. "Sure. What do you want to do?"_

_Kate grinned and pulled me with her to the back of the building. There was a small bench and she plopped down on it. "Let's get to know each other, friend."_

_I smiled and sat down next to her. "Let's."_

* * *

A/N: I've always liked Kate, so I thought she'd make a good friend. Let me know what you guys think.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters belong to Mrs. Meyer.

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**_

Chapter nine

_**Epov**_

_The day after Valentine's day brought a lot of changes. First of all, Bella and I drove to school together again. It was great to have my girl in the car with me in the morning. I couldn't stop touching her, although I knew I had to be careful._

_The second thing that changed was one that shocked me the most. When I came into the lunch room the first thing I noticed was a fuming Tanya staring at a table in the far corner of the cafeteria. I looked up and was shocked to see Bella and Tanya's younger sister, Kate sitting together at a table, giggling and talking._

_I made a mental note to ask her about that later and slid into my usual seat. I chanced a few glances at Bella and she and Kate really seemed to get along. Every once in a while I caught her eye and she would smile the most adorable smile. I would smile back or when I was sure no one was looking I'd wink at her._

_The last thing that changed, was Tyler Crowley. He was part of the group I hung out with and he sat next to me in Biology after lunch. We were both bored and he leaned over to talk to me._

"_You are getting along better with Bella, huh?"_

"_Yeah. We hashed it out and I'm trying to be more civil. It's not like she can help it that she was adopted by James and Victoria."_

"_I didn't mean it like that, you fuck. You've been mooning over her for a while now and I can see something has changed. You either told her you're in love with her, or you guys finally got it on last night."_

_I whipped my head around and stared at him, open mouthed._

"_Shut your mouth, you'll catch a fly. Listen, Edward. I'm not going to say shit about it, but you two look good together. Heck that first day I thought she was your girlfriend. I know people will judge because you are sort of siblings now, but don't let that shit get in your way man. People will deal in the end."_

_I shook my head, attempting to rid myself from the shock I felt at his words._

"_So, what happened? You tell her you're in love with her?"_

"_No. I didn't. We kissed."_

_Tyler chuckled. "Must be some kiss, because you are glowing right now."_

_I blushed, which caused Tyler to get into a full out belly laugh, which in turn pissed off our teacher. He demanded to know what we had been talking about, but neither of us would say anything so he assigned us detention for the afternoon._

_I groaned, knowing that Bella would either have to wait for me or take the bus and I would have to wait that much longer to be able to touch her again._

_After the end f class I hurried down the hall to catch up with Bella at her next class. She was surprised and a little pissed to see me there, but I pulled her to the side._

"_Hey, I just got detention in Bio. I have to stay an hour after school. Do you want to wait for me or take the bus?"_

"_I'll wait for you. I can get some of my homework out of the way."_

"_Great. Are you going to be in the library or something?"_

_She shrugged. "I could just join you in detention hall. I don't like the library here. The librarian, Mr. Giles, is a bit of a strange man."_

_I chuckled and ruffled her hair, because I just had to touch her. "Okay, see you there then."_

_She nodded and darted off to her next class._

_Detention had been heaven and hell all rolled into one. The teacher allowed Bella to wait for me in the same room, but he placed her in the back of the class, so I knew she was there but I couldn't look at her without it being obvious._

_I caught myself several times when I heard her sigh or shift in her seat. I was so tempted to turn around and stare at my girls, that I actually had to pinch myself to stay in my seat. Tyler, of course, found all of this highly amusing and I caught him glancing over his shoulder more than once._

_When the teacher wasn't looking I felt a piece of paper being slid under my arm._

_**She's totally staring at you.**_

_I groaned and bit my lip. "Something wrong Mr. Hunter?" the teacher asked._

"_No, sir."_

"_Well, then why the tortured face? It's only detention Mr. Hunter."_

"_Personal reasons, sir."_

_He smirked. "Care to enlighten us?"_

_I was about to snap at him when I heard Bella's angelic voice from the back of the room. "Mr. Fluty, I don't think that's any of your business. If Edward says it's personal then you should stay out of it."_

"_Excuse me, Ms. Hunter?"_

_I heard a chair scrape across the floor and I turned to see Bella stalking to the front of the room with a murderous look on her face._

_She stopped a foot away from Mr. Fluty and placed her hands on her hips._

"_You are merely here to supervise Edward and Tyler during their detention. You are not here to dig into their personal lives. It's very unprofessional of you and I doubt the principal would be pleased to hear about this. Nor would he like to know that you try to get gossip through our students so you can plague other students with that information."_

_I was reeling. I had no idea, what Bella was talking about but Mr. Fluty had backed away from her and was now sinking down into his chair._

"_So," Bella continued. "If I ever hear someone say that you've been trying to find out about my past I will personally report you to the principal. You have no right to stick your nose in our personal lives."_

_Bella turned around and threw me a small smile before stomping back to her desk. Needless to say Mr. Fluty kept his mouth shut for the rest of the hour. As soon as the bell rang, I packed my stuff. Bella was waiting by the door and she walked quietly beside me and Tyler on our way to the parking lot. As soon as we cleared the doors, Tyler stopped Bella from walking._

"_What the hell was that all about Ms. Hunter?" he asked with an amused glint in his eye._

"_I heard through Kate Denali that Mr. Fluty had been asking around for information about mine and Edward's past and the reason behind our adoption. She also told me that he liked to get dirt on his students to use against them. I wanted to rip his hair out when I heard, but I had no proof other than Kate's words, so when he just started in on Edward I seized the chance I was given. He's a jackass without a life of his own and he needs the drama in his students lives to feel better about his own. It's sad and a little twisted."_

"_Damn, girl. You've got some balls. I guess living under the same roof as Eddie has made you tough, huh?"_

_Bella laughed. "Living in foster care for several years forced me to develop these balls. Edward had nothing to do with that."_

"_Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive."_

"_No need to be sorry. It's life. What are you going to do about it? At least I live with the Hunters now."_

_Tyler gave her a wry smile. "Was it that bad in the home?"_

_Her eyes widened. "Why do you ask that?"_

"_Because I know what a bastard James can be when he gets mad. Why do you think I don't come over to your place?"_

_Her face saddened as she looked up at me, her mouth forming a small 'o'. I shrugged and wrapped one arm around her shoulder._

"_Tyler is the only one that knows what James is capable of. You and I both know that nothing had happened in quite some time, so don't worry about it."_

"_Hey, do you guys want to grab something to eat and go to a movie?" Tyler asked to lighten the mood._

"_It's up to you, baby."_

_Bella frowned and threw me a stern look and then pointedly glanced at Tyler. He and I chuckled._

"_Bella, Tyler already figured us out."_

"_We're not that obvious, are we?" she asked a little panicked._

"_Nope, but I know Edward pretty well and I could tell from day one that he was into you, although he probably didn't even know it then."_

_She looked shocked and Tyler decided to continue. "And you little miss, are really an open book. Be glad people in this school are so self-centred, otherwise you would've been gossip fodder since the first day of school."_

_Bella groaned and hid her face in her hands. "I have to work on that," she mumbled._

"_We both do," I whispered in her ear._

_She nodded and looked back up at Tyler. "What movie did you want to go to?"_

"_Why don't we just go to the theatre and see what's playing?"_

_We agreed and so we spent the rest of the afternoon with Tyler. We grabbed a pizza after the movie and then headed our separate ways._

_As soon as we were back inside the house, Bella crushed her lips against mine and pressed her body close. I gripped the fabric of her shirt and the small of her back and with a low moan I slid my tongue over her lips._

_She opened her mouth and moved her tongue with mine feverishly. We were both holding each other tightly and moaned simultaneously as I ground my hips into hers. Her small hands trailed over my chest and started to lift my shirt._

_I pulled away from her and ripped the shirt over my head and reached for hers immediately after. Once her top was off I pulled her back into my arms and resumed my attack on her mouth._

_Her warm fingers trailed from my neck, over my shoulders, down my back and up again. I shivered and released her lips in order to kiss and lick along the column of her slender neck. I sucked her earlobe into my mouth and bit down gently._

"_Ungh... Edward," she moaned._

_I grunted and ground my hips into her again earning a small whimper. She pulled on my hair and kissed me roughly once._

"_Please, Edward. Touch me."_

_I was unsure of what to do, so I allowed my mind to control my actions and I pulled away. I took her hands in mine and pulled her over to the sofa, picked up her shirt and handing it to her in the process._

"_We can kiss, we can touch each other, but it has to be with our clothes on. Do you think you can live with that?" I asked her as I sat down and pulled her into my lap._

"_Yes, for now I can."_

_I smiled and kissed her softly. I sat back and tucked her under my chin, tracing slow circles on her back._

"_I need to tell you a few things about my past, though."_

"_You can tell me anything," she said, placing a soft kiss on my throat._

"_Before I got placed in foster care, I had a happy childhood. My mother, Elizabeth Masen, and my father, Edward sr., were very much in love. They loved me unconditionally and I was a truly happy child. But when I was seven, my mother got depressed. She and my father had tried to have another baby, but never succeeded. The reason for my mother's depression was rooted in that. She had been to the hospital for a check up when they discovered a tumour in her uterus."_

_I swallowed hard and allowed Bella to pull my head onto her shoulder and stroke my hair to calm me down a little._

"_She had several appointments with her doctor before they told her there was nothing more they could do for her. The cancer had already spread too far. When they told her that she slipped into a depression almost immediately. I didn't understand what was going on and nobody would explain it to me, so I just tried to deal with it by attempting to cheer her up."_

"_Then one afternoon I was called out of the classroom. There was a police officer that took me home. They told me my mother had killed herself and my dad had found her when he came home early from work. My dad never got over that and after struggling for two months and one failed suicide attempt he was admitted into the psych ward at the hospital and I was placed in foster care."_

_I drew in a deep breath in order to keep my voice steady. "I got into trouble a lot, after that, Bella. I picked fights, I stole stuff from the store and I smoked. I was seven and I was already rotten to the core. I was placed with two families over the years but both gave up on me after a couple of months. I never got my temper under control and continued to fight a lot. Then when I was fourteen James and Victoria took me in and I learned the hard way what a bad temper could cause. The first couple of months I was constantly black and blue. The beatings lessened as I learned to avoid getting on James' bad side, but I am hot headed by nature and still got into a lot of trouble. It was not long before you arrived that I finally managed a strike free period of longer than a month."_

_Bella placed a finger under my chin and lifted my head of her shoulder. The tears on her face were for me and I realized once more that I truly loved this girl._

"_I'm sorry for all that has happened to you, Edward. I really am and I wish I could do something for you, but I'm no psychiatrist. I can't."_

"_I know, baby. I know and I love you for wanting to do something to help me. I really do. That is why I tried so hard to stay away from you. You are so sweet and innocent. You shouldn't be getting close to me. I would only corrupt you."_

_She shook her head vehemently. "I never want to hear those words again, do you hear me? I'm not as sweet and innocent as you seem to think. I've seen my fair share of disgusting things in the world and I didn't get away with innocence, Edward."_

"_But you are, Bella. You are pure of heart and the most sweet and selfless person I have ever met."_

"_Edward, please don't think so highly of me. I'll only end up disappointing you."_

_I tried shaking my head, but her fierce expression made me think twice about that._

"_Edward I didn't have a happy childhood. I never knew my mom, because she died in childbirth. My biological father was a drunk. His name was Phil Dwyer, but I have always gone by my mother's name, Platt. When I was six, Phil hit me for the first time, when he was drunk. It only happened two times before I told a teacher at school. I was immediately taken away from Phil and he had to give up his parental rights. He spent two years in jail, while I got the worst sentence. I was placed in an orphanage. The kids there were rough and rowdy and I quickly learned how to defend myself from the big burly kids who beat others up."_

"_I spend four years there before I was placed with the Johnson's. They were horribly stuck up and they wanted a pretty daughter who could suck up to the society members they were friends with. I was too shy for their taste, so eventually they sent me back. When I returned there was a big boy, Demetri that caused a lot of trouble. He was always fighting with the other kids and I heard rumours that he tried to force himself on a few of the girls."_

"_I was able to lay low for three years. Demetri was sixteen by then and a few weeks after my thirteenth birthday he started to notice me. He started following me around, hoping I would somehow find myself alone with him. I avoided it at all costs, but then one day I tried to defend one of the smaller girls from a boy my age and I got into a fight. I was grounded and had to spend the rest of the week alone in my room."_

_I couldn't speak, I couldn't move, I could only listen with boiling blood to her story. I wanted so badly to help her get rid of those horrid memories, but I could only listen to her and talk to her about them._

"_The second day of my punishment Demetri managed to sneak into my room. He backed me into a corner and pressed his body against me. He groped me and tried to pull my shirt off, but I bit his hand hard and screamed bloody murder. Demetri smacked my head against the wall and I lost consciousness. I woke up in the hospital a few days later. Demetri had not violated me further, but in his rage he had kicked me hard enough to break three ribs and crack my skull. When I got out, I heard that other girls had spoken up about being raped by him and he had been sentenced to go to prison for at least ten years."_

"_So, I am not as innocent as you believe me to be. I've seen too much of the bad stuff in this world for that. I have been treated for my anxieties after my encounter with Demetri and I learned how to deal with it. I will always have those memories, but I'm no longer consumed by them. So all in all I came out stronger."_

_I finally found the strength to move and wrapped my arms tightly around her. I kissed her softly on the lips and breathed in her heavenly scent._

_She was here. Safe in my arms and I thanked God for that._

"_Bella, there is one more thing."_

_She smiled and placed her hands on my cheeks. "You can tell me anything," she repeated her earlier words._

"_I love you."_

_Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over. "I love you too," she whispered hoarsely._


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. All characters belong to Mrs. Meyer.

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**_

Chapter ten

_**Bpov**_

_After our confessions of love for each other we spend the remainder of our parent free days in blissful seclusion. We hurried home after school on Friday, bought supplies to keep us fed during the weekend and set up camp in Edward's bed._

_We cuddled, we kissed and we explore each other with our clothes still on. Nice and slow the way it was supposed to go. By the time Sunday rolled in, we had decided to just come out and tell James and Victoria that we had fallen in love with each other and ask them for their blessing to start dating._

_With baited breath we waited for them to come home. They both were in high spirits when they came home, so it felt like a good a time as any to broach the subject._

"_James, Victoria, can we please talk to you for a minute?" Edward asked politely._

"_Sure, Edward," James said and he motioned for us to sit down at the kitchen table._

"_Bella and I have been talking a lot the past few days and we discovered that we have feelings for each other."_

_We eyed James, but he didn't seem fazed by Edwards admission, so I drew a deep breath and spoke._

"_We would like to ask you if it is okay for us to start dating. We know it might appear weird to outsiders, but we really care about each other and we would like to have a chance to be together."_

_Victoria smiled sweetly and patted my hand. "Sweetie, we already talked about this possibility over the weekend, haven't we James?"_

"_We did. We noticed the way you two looked at each other and I can't say I blame either of you. You can't chose who you feel attracted to, but if you are going to be dating I want to set some ground rules. And you both know what happens when you break them."_

_Edward and I nodded and focused completely on James._

"_First of all, I don't want any drama over this. If you have a tiff I do not want to be bothered with it, so keep that stuff outside of the house. Secondly, no sleeping in each other's rooms. It will only encourage you to do things you are too young for. And last but not least, no displays of affections when I am in the room. I understand you will kiss and maybe even do something more, but I don't want to see it. Do you understand me?"_

_We both nodded again. James got up and went into the living room to watch the game. Victoria was still smiling at us._

"_I'm happy you two have found each other. Did you know that James and I met while we were in the same orphanage? We lost touch for two years but eventually ran into each other again at a restaurant. James might not have said it in this many words, but he won't allow you two to have sex together. He's very strict about that stuff. He and I didn't have sex until we were in a solid relationship for over a year, so please refrain form it."_

"_We weren't planning on that, Victoria. We will take things slow and not have sex. I don't want to get into trouble with James," Edward stated confidently._

"_Good. Now please come and join us in the family room, okay? I missed you."_

"_Can we have a minute?" Edward asked her._

"_Make it quick," she warned and then strode out of the room._

_The second she was out of sight, Edward had me pressed against him and his lips on mine, kissing my hard. I kissed him back and threw my arms around his neck. We didn't deepen the kiss to avoid it getting too heated._

_Edward pulled back and kissed my nose. "I love you, baby and I'm so happy they are okay with this."_

"_I love you too. Now let's get in there before we get into our first fight with James about this."_

_He nodded and released me. I ran a hand through my hair and straightened my clothes before walking to the living room. Edward followed behind a few minutes later, with a tray full of sodas and snacks._

_The following months Edward and I found a rhythm that worked well for us within the rules that James had set for us. We tried to keep our relationship a secret, but about three weeks after we talked to James and Victoria the cat was let out of the bag._

_I had been in the cafeteria, waiting for my turn at the lunch line, when I overheard some girls talking about Edward._

"_He's so hot, but he never dates any one? Do you think he's gay?"_

"_No, way. Tanya told me they slept together last week."_

_Bile rose in my throat and I spun on my heel to get out of there. I ran right past Edward and down the hallway._

_I could hear him calling out behind me, but I just kept running. He caught up with me when I was outside. He grabbed my arm and pulled me into his arms._

"_Bella, baby, what happened? Are you okay?"_

"_Let me go! You lying son of a bitch!"_

_He dropped his arms to his side and stepped back._

"_What did I do?" he asked, sounding dumbfounded._

"_You. Slept. With. Tanya. Denali." I seethed._

"_When would I have done that, love?"_

"_Last week! I heard those girls talk about it. Tanya told them you slept with her last week."_

"_Bella. How can you even believe that? When would I have had time to do that? We hurry home after school every day so we can be together. When would I have time to even kiss that girl, let alone sleep with her? Baby, I love you. I would never do that to you."_

_By then I had come to my senses and realised that Tanya had probably lied to keep up her reputation and I also realized we had an audience to our little performance._

_Edward looked over his shoulder when he noticed my horrified expression and groaned._

"_Shit," he muttered before stepping towards me and pulling me into his arms. "It'll be okay, love. They'll get over it."_

_And they eventually did. It was the most talked about issue for over a month, but half way through April they had all gotten so used to seeing us together, we were no longer a topic to be discussed._

_So we spent the remainder of our school year in relative bliss. We now sat together with Kate and Tyler at lunch and we took every chance we got to make out in the supply closet or at the back of the school building._

_We were happy and we didn't have a care in the world. It was the first time in my life that I had been this content, but somewhere in the back of my mind I had been anxiously waiting for the other shoe to drop._

_When we finished our finals, we had two months of summer break ahead of us. James and Victoria would take three weeks off to take us on a vacation and the remainder of the time we would be home alone while they were at work._

_The vacation to San Fransisco had been wonderful and even James had let up a bit and didn't get mad when we stole in a few kisses. But when we got home James received a call from an uncle of his._

_The man was retired and wanted to spend some with James. Aro Hunter was the last biological relative that James had and he looked up to the man as if he were his father. So naturally he was thrilled that the man would want to stay with us._

_To accommodate our guest, Edward had to move to a cot in the living room, so uncle Aro could take his bed. He wasn't too thrilled about it, but wisely decided not to argue._

_The day Aro was set to arrive I had a bad feeling. Something in my gut was telling me that I needed to get the hell out of there, much like I had felt the day that Demetri had attacked me. Since I didn't have a place to go, I had to stay put._

_At exactly seven p.m. The doorbell rang and my heart was pounding in my chest. Edward noticed my stressed demeanour and attempted to calm me down, but failed once again._

_By then a tall, thin man with long grey hair and piercing grey eyes had walked into the living room, followed by a beaming James._

"_Well, hello children. You must be Edward and Isabella. I have heard so much about you," he said in a sickly sweet voice._

_He walked over to us and shook Edward's hand, while eyeing him up and down and then took my hand and kissed my knuckles. He was staring intently at my chest and I heard the low rumble in Edward's chest._

_Aro chuckled and raised an eyebrow at Edward, daring him to say something. I felt a cold chill run down my spine and excused myself. I hurried up to my room and locked the door behind me._

_That creep was going to be trouble, I could feel it in my core. After half an hour there was a knock at my door._

"_Bella, honey it's me," I heard Edward say from the other side of the door._

_I quickly released the lock and opened the door for him._

"_I have a bad feeling about that man, Edward. I don't trust him."_

"_I don't either. We just have to stay together as much as we can and I want you to lock your door every night while he's here, okay?"_

_I nodded and buried my face in the crook of his neck. He kissed the top of my head and rubbed slow circles on my back._

_We managed to avoid Aro for two days, but on the third day of his visit everything went wrong. James and Victoria were having their anniversary and would go out for dinner and we shouldn't expect them home before ten. That was my first sign that things would go wrong._

_The second was running into Aro after I had taken a shower that morning. He backed me into the wall and pulled the front of my top forward so he could look down into it._

"_Ain't you a pretty little something. That kid is one lucky son of a bitch for being allowed to touch those perfect tits."_

_I felt revolted and jerked my knee up into his groin._

_He doubled over in pain and I made a mad dash for the stairs. Edward heard me coming down the stairs and immediately enveloped me in his arms._

_I told him what happened and he was about to go upstairs to kick Aro's ass when Aro came downstairs._

"_Now, now. Don't tell me you believe that little hussy, do you? What'd she say? That I was doing dirty things?"_

_I couldn't stop crying as he advanced on us. "Nobody will believe you, you know. James adores the ground I walk on. He would kick you out before he'd believe you."_

_With that he spun on his heel and went into the kitchen. I cowered in Edward's arm and we spent the rest of the day locked up in my room. Eventually we had to get out though and that's when the other shoe dropped._

_We walked into the kitchen together with the intent to grab something to eat. I perched on the counter and Edward rummaged through the fridge for ingredients for a quick meal. Just as Edward stood back up I saw Aro coming in. I opened my mouth to warn edward, but before I got a chance to speak, Aro smashed his beer bottle over Edward's head._

_Edward looked shocked for a second and then his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he crumpled to the floor._

_I jumped off the counter and knelt down by his side. "Edward! Edward, please open your eyes."_

_A sharp tug on my hair made me scream at the top of my lungs. Aro yanked me up and used his body to press me against the counter. I was sobbing and he slapped me across my face._

"_Shut up! Your little boyfriend can't help you now. No one can. I'm going to show you what you should have done this morning only now I am much less lenient than I would've been if you complied earlier," he hissed through his clenched teeth._

_With one hand still in my air and the other gripping my elbow painfully he dragged me into the living room and threw me onto the cot Edward had been sleeping on. His scent wafted up and around me and I cried harder. Aro smacked me again and ripped my shirt apart._

"_Aw. Such a pretty little girl. Too bad you behave so badly. You see a man needs to show a woman who's boss. James does a fairly good job at that with his wife, but you... He completely failed to teach you."_

_I shuddered at the implications and tried to struggle out of his grasp. He grabbed my arms more forcefully and pressed his lips to mine, forcing his tongue into my mouth. I bit down and with a sharp hiss he pulled back and threw me off the cot onto the floor._

_Tears were streaming down my face non-stop and I prayed to god that I would live through this. Aro hovered above me and ripped my bra off me. He leaned in and groped my breasts roughly. I whimpered as his nails dug into the soft skin._

_I wanted to kick him, bite him, scratch whatever I could reach, but I was unable to move due to the panic that was incapacitating me._

_Aro pulled at the button of my pants and I closed my eyes in an attempt to drown the horror out. Suddenly I heard Aro grunt and he fell on top of me. My eyes shot open and I saw Edward standing behind Aro with a heavy lamp._

_He was frozen one second then frantically trying to pull Aro off me the next. Together we succeeded to roll Aro's limp body off of me._

_Edward cried when he saw my torn clothing and scratched and bruised skin._

"_Edward, get me out of here. Please."_

_He nodded mutely and carefully cradled my in his arms. He took me upstairs and brought me to my bedroom. He quietly took out a shirt and bra and grabbed my duffel bag. He proceeded to pack my belongings into the bag and then without speaking he lifted both me and the bag and carried me to his room._

_He changed his clothes and packed his own bag. We walked downstairs together in silence. Edward motioned for me to wait in the hallway._

"_I'm going to check if he still has a pulse," he whispered._

_I waited in the hallway, biting my nails the entire time. Edward was back within a minute and hugged me tightly. _

"_He's still alive but we have to run, baby. We can't stay here. James will never believe us."_

_I nodded and we went outside. Edward was about to open the car but I stopped him._

"_We can't take your car. They are bound to report it as stolen if we take it now."_

"_I hadn't thought about that. Come on. We need to find a place to stay for the night and then we'll see about our travel options tomorrow."_

_We walked a few blocks and then spotted an abandoned house. The foliage around the house was so thick that nobody would e able to see us if we were inside so we agreed to spend the night there._

_When we made it inside, Edward pulled out a few blankets and placed them on the floor. He laid down and pulled me down with him. He held me to his chest and gently stroked my back. I needed to be distracted from what happened so I reached up to kiss him._

_I just wanted to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth, but as soon as his tongue met mine there was something more raw that surfaced._

_I wanted Edward to touch me. I needed him to touch me. I needed him to show me that there were men out there that didn't force physical contact. So I kissed him more urgently, fisting my hands in his hair and pressing my body closer to his. I hitched a leg over his thigh and rubbed it over his obvious arousal._

"_Bella," he gasped. "We need to stop."_

"_No," I cried. "No more stopping. I want you and I need you. Please, Edward. Please make love to me. Show me that you love me. That when a man loves a woman he can touch her without forcing himself on her. Please."_

_Edward wiped my tears away as I did his and gently kissed me again. He stroked my cheeks, my neck, my shoulders, my back. He slowly rolled us over so he was hovering over me. Our tongues met again and I moaned into his open mouth._

_He slowly lifted my shirt and pulled back to take it off completely. He took off his own shirt without breaking eye contact and lowered himself on top of me._

_He kissed my forehead, my cheeks, my eyelids, the corner of my mouth, the soft spot below my ear. He trailed a long hot line of open mouthed kisses down my throat and along my collarbone. He looked up at me with those beautiful emerald eyes, asking silently if I was still okay. I nodded and he dipped his head to gently kiss my left nipple and then my right._

_His tongue flicked across the hardened peak and I moaned loudly, while arching up into him. He hissed as I buck my hips up against his straining length._

"_Please, Edward. I need all of you. Please. Make love to me."_

_He kissed back up my torso and stared a long time into my eyes._

"_Are you sure?" he asked barely audible._

"_Yes. I want it to be you and I want you to make love to me now."_

_He kissed me, his tongue begging for entrance immediately. He lowered himself between my legs and pressed himself against the apex of my thighs. I moaned again._

_His hands reached down and unbuttoned my jeans. He slid them down my legs before taking off his own pants. I stared at the obvious bulge in his boxer briefs and for a brief moment I was afraid he might not fit, but when he was back between my legs all I could think was that I wanted to feel him inside me._

"_Please Edward," I moaned._

"_God, Bella. I love you."_

"_I love you too, baby."_

_He kissed me again and gently lowered my panties and his boxers. He settled between my legs, his tip at my entrance and looked into my eyes._

"_This will hurt at first. Tell me if I need to stop or when I need to slow down. Tell me what feels good, okay baby?"_

_I nodded and he slowly slid into me. The pain was sharp and I hissed when he breached my barrier. Edward held perfectly still, allowing me to adjust to his size and the feeling of having him inside of me._

"_I'm okay. You can move," I whispered._

_He slowly pulled back out and moved forward just as gently. The pain was less now and as he kept thrusting slowly into me, the pain kept subsiding and eventually it got replaced by pleasure._

_Edward groaned above me, peppering kisses all over my face, my shoulders and my breasts._

"_Move...faster," I panted._

_He complied and started pumping in and of me at a quicker pace. I reached in between us and rubbed small circles over my clit._

"_That's it love," Edward grunted. "Come for me."_

_And I did. I cried out his name as I came hard around him, causing him to reach his own orgasm. He kept thrusting into me until we both came down form our high._

_He pulled out of me and rolled off me, taking me with him and wrapping me in his arms._

"_Sleep, love. Tomorrow we will find a way out of this mess."_

A/N: I love you all for reading this and I hope you'll send me a review to let me know what you think.

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	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer. The plot is mine.

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**_

Chapter eleven

_**Epov**_

_The next morning I was awoken by a sharp pain in my ribs. I instinctively searched for Bella beside me, but she wasn't there. I shot up and my eyes flew open only to be met by James' furious glare._

"_Where is she?" I asked him._

_He pulled back his fist and landed a solid punch on my jaw._

_I flew back onto the blanket. I scrambled to find my boxers and pull them on. The second I slid them over my hips I was shoved into the wall._

"_You little fucker! How dare you take her away from me and Victoria!" James hissed, while punching me in the kidney. "What did you do to her?! Where is your sister, Edward?!"_

"_I don't know. She was here when I fell asleep and she's not my sister!"_

"_Don't you talk back to me boy!"_

_He landed another punch in my kidney. I was panicking. If Bella wasn't here, and James hasn't seen her, then where could she be?_

_James yanked my head back by my hair and forcefully shoved my face against the wall. I could feel the rough surface scrape my skin and I hissed._

"_Oh, god. No!" I heard Bella from behind me._

"_Well, well, well. If it isn't the little whore," James spat._

_He released me to start towards Bella. He grabbed her arm and slapped her across the cheek. In that instant I saw red. I was going to kill that bastard._

_I flew froward and kicked the hollow of his knee, causing him to buckle and fall to the floor. He released his grasp on Bella and tried to stand back up, but I was faster and I kicked him hard between the legs._

_With a roar of pain he collapsed onto the floor. He reached out and grabbed Bella's ankle, pulling her onto the ground beside him._

"_Let her go! Get your hands off of her!" I yelled._

"_Stop me," he hissed._

_He got on his knees and crawled over Bella's trembling body. Before he half way up to her face, I pulled him off her and threw him against the wall. I swung my fists and connected to his nose. I heard a snap and his nose started bleeding profusely._

_Bella gasped behind me and as I looked over my shoulder I saw her go limp. I panicked again and rushed to her side._

"_Bella? Love, can you here me? Sweetheart?"_

_I gently pushed her hair away from her forehead and patted her cheek. She was out cold and I had no idea how it could've happened._

_I felt a pull on my hair, but before I could react there was a flurry of action. Three police officers stormed into the room and they quickly had both me and James up against the wall with our hands over our heads._

"_Can you please see how she's doing? She passed out," I pleaded with one of the officers._

_The man knelt over her and saw the red mark on her cheek._

"_Which one of you hit this girl?"_

"_He did," I said motioning with my head towards James._

"_We'll take her to the hospital to get her checked out and the two of you are coming down town for further questioning."_

_I had to stand next to James and watch them carry the girl I loved out on a stretcher. I didn't realize I was crying until James muttered something over me being a pussy._

_I didn't care. I couldn't care. My Bella was being taken to hospital and there was no way I could come with her. A lump formed in my throat and my heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest when I realized there might be a chance I would never see her again._

_After today we would never be placed back with James and Victoria and I had no way of knowing in which orphanage they would place us. I didn't even know where she had originally stayed._

_I just knew that the one I had come from was on the outskirts of town and the rules were strict enough to prevent me from ever going out on my own. We were under constant scrutiny there. At least when it came to our whereabouts._

_James and I were taken to the police station and both of us were interviewed. I made sure to inform them of the fact that James' uncle Aro had attempted to rape Bella before we ran away and that James had hit me in the past._

_After three gruelling hours of being interrogated, I was taken back to the home I had been in before the Hunters had adopted me._

_I begged them to tell me if Bella was okay, I begged them to tell her that I was fine and where they would take me, but none of these men gave me any inclination that they would do what I asked of them._

_At the home I was immediately placed in an isolated wing which was meant for the particularly hard to handle children. I got a room to myself, but I knew from previous experiences that this wing was definitely the last thing on earth where I wanted to be._

_I received a gruesome schedule of chores and outside of that I was locked in that room without anything to distract myself. I felt like a caged animal, but I would only get out if I behaved myself. I had no idea how long I was in for this treatment, but I would try my damnedest to get out of there as soon as possible._

_In the many hours that I was cooped up on my own, I would try to work out a plan to find Bella and take her away with me. I would get out of the solitary lock-up and then, when I got a chance to go on a trip outside of the home, I would make a run for it._

_I would search every orphanage in Phoenix until I found her and when I did, I would take her away from there. We would go to the other side of the country, I'd find a job and we would be together forever._

_It took two months for them to let me join the regular group. The first night I already fucked it all up, though._

_There was a girl that was trying to seduce me and I politely attempted to tell her I wasn't interested. She kept coming on to me, so I eventually just left the room and went to the bedroom I shared with two other guys. Only five minutes later there was a loud scream coming from the recreation room._

_I bolted for the doors and ran in, my room mates hot on my heels. One of the other guys was hovering over the girl I had just turned down. She had tears streaming down her face._

_All reason fled my mind and I just lunged for the guy. I kept seeing the image of Bella and Aro in my mind and I just kicked and punched blindly. He was a good fighter and I was losing the fight quickly. Thankfully the head master came in at that moment and tore the guy away from me._

_I was taken to the hospital so I could get the multiple gashes on my face and arms stitched up. It was there that I met Carlisle. He was working his last shift at the ER that night and he was the one to patch me up._

"_What have you done, son?" he asked me quietly, while he cleaned one of the gashes on my arm._

"_Got into a fight at the orphanage," I muttered in return._

"_You get into a lot of fights?"_

_I shrugged. "Only when provoked."_

"_What happened?"_

"_One of the guys tried to force himself on a girl. I didn't think before I pulled him off."_

"_Well, I can't say I approve of fighting, but at least it was for a noble cause. Is that girl special to you?"_

"_No. But I had a special girl and that almost happened to her once."_

_Carlisle looked sad and then his face turned into one of determination._

"_Edward, I would like to help you. I have an adopted son who is one year older than you and a daughter who is your age. Would you mind to go on a trial run in our home?"_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_Well, like I said I would like to help you. I would like for you to come home with me and see if you want to stay with us. If you feel like you don't fit in, you can always go back. Just know that we would like to help you so you can finish high school in a better environment."_

_He looked sincere and I was not in the mood to go back to the orphanage and get thrown back into the solitary wing._

"_Sure. Why the hell not? You can't be worse than the last family I lived with."_

_Carlisle nodded and finished stitching my cuts._

"_There. If you'll just wait here, I will make a few calls. My shift will be over in an hour, so if you want you can wait for me in my office. I will take you to the orphanage so you can get your things."_

_My jaw dropped. "You are taking me home right now?"_

"_Yes, I am. If I take you back there you will most likely get punished for fighting and that just doesn't sit well with me. I've seen what happened to Emmett in such a situation and I wouldn't wish it upon you."_

_That night Carlisle brought me home with him and after the proposed trial of three weeks, I really didn't want to leave again. The only moment I hesitated, was when Carlisle announced that we would be moving to Seattle._

_He had told me earlier that he had just finished working at the hospital where I was brought to and that he would enjoy a holiday with his family before heading of to his new job. He just forgot to mention that job was on the other side of the country._

_I contemplated staying behind to find Bella, but I didn't feel confident that I would ever find her, so I allowed my heart to be fully shattered and my hope to evaporate. I would have to leave the memory of Bella behind in Phoenix and attempt to make a new life for myself in Seattle._

_**Bpov**_

_When I came back to the house I was met with my worst nightmare. James had Edward pinned against the wall and he had obviously hurt him already. I dropped the bad with our breakfast and tried to find my voice to tell James to stop, but all that came out was a pained gasp._

_James was in my face the next second. The slap across my face stung and burned, but I refused to let him see me cry or whimper in pain. If Edward could stand his punches and slaps, then so could I._

_Things happened so fast then, that I could hardly comprehend what was going on. I wanted to cry, scream, run, but I was frozen on that spot on the floor after James had pulled me down. It was the same feeling that had overtaken me when Aro was ripping my shirt off me yesterday._

_It was only when Edward broke James' nose and I saw the blood that my body responded. I was almost instantly pulled under, blackness taking over._

_I woke in a hospital bed with a female cop standing over me. I had no idea what happened or where Edward was, so I panicked._

"_Where is he?"_

"_Where's who?"_

"_Edward! Where's Edward?"_

"_Is that the boy or the man, dear?"_

"_The boy."_

"_I don't know, honey. They were both taken to the police station for interrogation. He has mentioned that a man named Aro attempted to rape you. Can you confirm this?"_

_I nodded. "What will happen to him?"_

"_Well, the kid will be taken back to where he came from. The man that was found beating you up, will probably be locked up for a few months and the man that attempted to assault you will only be sentenced when you speak up."_

_I shuddered. "I don't want to go through all that, I just want to forget it. I only care that Edward doesn't get blamed for anything. All he did, was defend me and himself."_

"_Are you sure, hun?"_

"_Yes."_

_She reluctantly nodded and told me a colleague would take my official statement in a little while. _

_After giving my statement I was discharged. The officer that had been in my room after I had woken up, took me to a cruiser and drove me back to my personal hell. The orphanage._

_I had repeatedly asked the woman where Edward was and if he was all right, but she couldn't or wouldn't answer me. When we finally pulled onto the dreaded driveway, I felt my insides twist and turn and slowly ripping apart._

_I didn't know if I would ever see Edward again and it scared me. It was agonizing to think of and suddenly my life held no more meaning. I didn't care if I would be stuck in this place until I turned eighteen or if I would be adopted after all._

_I simply didn't care any more. My heart was with Edward and as long as he and I were apart I would never get it back._

_After the police officer left, I was taken aside by Irina. She ironically had the same name as Tanya's bitchy sister and it almost made me laugh. She told me in no uncertain terms that I was not to interact with the girls on my own. I got a big load of cleaning work and was constantly watched._

_Every chance she got, Irina told me I was worthless, that I was a slut and that I didn't deserve a pair of decent foster parents. It pissed me off to no end, but I couldn't do anythign about it._

_It took me a month to show her that I was in fact behaving appropriately and I finally got the chance to get out of the house to go shopping with some of the girls._

_When they ducked into a drug store to get their tampons and whatnot, I suddenly panicked. I hadn't had a period yet and I was back in the orphanage for little over a month now. I had had some irregular periods, but never more than five weeks and I was now about six, six and a half weeks since my last period._

_My breath got caught in my throat when I realized I might be pregnant. Fifteen and pregnant. How in the hell had we not thought about that when we made love. Edward and I were usually pretty smart, but somehow we managed to forget about protection._

_I waited until the girls were at the register before I slipped a pregnancy test into my basket._

"_Bella, are you ready?"_

"_I need another minute. I'll catch up."_

_The girls just shrugged and headed out to the clothing store down the street. I made sure that none of them were outside and paid for my purchases._

_The man behind the counter raised an eyebrow when he caught sight of the test, but thankfully didn't comment on it._

_Before I went out of the store I opened the box, shoved the wrapped test and the instructions in the waistband of my jeans and threw the box out. Just in case our purchases would be checked after returning._

_That night I waited until the girls were asleep before sneaking out of the bedroom. I didn't turn on the lights in the bathroom, instead I used the moonlight to see what the test would say._

_The three minutes it took before the result would show, were probably the longest of my life, but when they were up I got the answer that I secretly already hoped for. I was pregnant with Edward's baby. I was carrying a part of him in my womb._

_I sneaked back into the bedroom and hurriedly threw the few belongings I had into a duffel bag. I knew I could never keep the baby if I would stay here, so I did the only thing I could do. I ran away._

_I stayed on the streets for a few nights, but at some point I wandered into the wrong alley at the wrong time and ran into a drunk guy who wanted to rob me._

_I didn't have anything worth stealing so he told me he would take something else. I had been through this so many times by now, I successfully fought back the panic that was building and landed a knee in his groin. He slapped me in return, but thankfully that's when Charlie showed up._

_He took care of me, taking me home with him for a meal and a good night sleep. The next morning he sat me down and asked me what had happened to me. I told him the abbreviated version of my past, careful not to mention the names of those involved. Especially Edward's because I wasn't sure at the time what Charlie would do if he knew._

_Once I told him I was pregnant and that I wanted to keep the baby, he simply nodded and without a word left the room. He came back with the phone plastered to his ear, already making arrangements to adopt me._

_When Renee came home later that day Charlie's impulsive decision came back to bite him in the ass._

"_Who is this?" she asked calmly._

"_This is Bella Platt. I saved her from assault last night and this girl needs a place to stay."_

"_Where are her parents?"_

"_Her mother is deceased and her father no longer has parental rights."_

"_Then take her to an orphanage."_

"_I can't. Not in her condition."_

"_What? What are you saying Charlie?"_

"_Bella's pregnant and she wants to keep the baby. If she's in an orphanage when she delivers, the baby will be taken away from her. We can help her, Renee. She needs a home and you've always wanted a daughter."_

_Renee blew up after that. She was irate and decided to spend the night at a friend's house, unable to stay in the house while Charlie had me there._

_I offered to leave, but Charlie wouldn't hear of it. He told me to stay put and that he would work things out with Renee. It took a few weeks, a demonstration of my horrifying nightmares and the subsequent recall of my past to convince her, but after that she accepted me fully as her daughter._


	12. Chapter 12

**_Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyer. The plot is mine. _**

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Chapter twelve

**Bpov**

Esme's eyes were swollen with tears and Alice and Jasper were both white as sheet. Carlisle looked remorseful and pensive.

Charlie cleared his throat and I looked up at him. His eyes were so sad, but he also looked proud. Proud of me.

"When I found Bella that night, I knew from the look in her eye that she was far too fragile to be sent to some social services office and decided on a whim to take her home. I gave her a meal and let her sleep and the next morning I made her tell me what happened. She never went into names, I thinks she was trying to protect you," he said nodding at Edward. "But when I heard it all and she told me she was pregnant I was sure what my purpose in her life was. I set the adoption into motion the same day, fought my wife over the subject but eventually gained the most loving daughter and sweetest granddaughter a man could hope for."

I slid off of Edward's lap and hugged my father closely. He kissed the top of my head and I felt his tears drip onto my shoulder. Charlie wasn't a very emotional man, but at times like these he showed me what a true father should be like and I loved him so much for it,

"Thank you dad," I whispered.

I pulled away from him and I was immediately enveloped by another pair of arms. This time it was Carlisle.

"If we would have known, we would have looked for you in Phoenix and taken you with us," he whispered.

I nodded into his chest and peaked over at Edward to see him hugging his mother and sister at the same time.

Jasper looked a bit out of sorts so I excused myself with Carlilse and hugged Jasper.

"I'm so sorry for acting like an ass last night," he started.

"Don't be. Please. It's a hard story to tell, but I've gotten past all that now."

"Thank god for that," he murmured into my hair.

After Jasper I got hugged by Alice and Esme and Edward received hugs from the men in the room. Even my father hugged him without hesitation. Again proof that Charlie loved me and anybody I loved by extension.

"Now, everyone," Esme started. "I think it's about time for lunch. Girls will you help me get some sandwiches and boys will you please set the table for me?"

We all did as we were asked and slowly the tension in the air lifted and there was room once again for light hearted conversation. My mother must've had a sixth sense, because she came back in with Emma just as we placed the sandwiches on the table.

"Mommy!" Emma squealed as she made a mad dash for me.

She had unfortunately inherited my clumsiness and tripped on thin air. Thankfully I was able to see these things coming with her and I caught her before she hit the floor. I lifted her high above my head and spun her around in a circle. Her high pitched giggles erased the last of my painful memories and I let her down so I could hug her.

"Hey, baby. Where did grandma take you?"

"We went to the store and looked for a present for Nonna Swan."

Emma tended to call Charlie's mother Nonna so she wouldn't get things mixed up.

"Oh, you did? What kind of present?"

"Um...a... what was it, grandma?"

"A souvenir, honey. I wanted to buy Nonna something to prove that we've been in Seattle."

Emma giggled and placed her head on my shoulder.

"There was a really funny man in the store."

My mother rolled her eyes. "That man wasn't really funny, pumpkin. He was a bit drunk and that's why he was talking funny."

I mouthed and 'o ' at my mother and stroked Emma's hair, slightly swaying from side to side. I looked up to see Edward staring at us with longing. I smiled and held out my hand to him. He stepped closer and placed his hand in mine so I could pull him closer.

He looked so lonely that my heart broke for him. I pulled him in until his chest was against my side. I shifted Emma onto my opposite hip and wrapped my free arm around Edward's waist. He caught onto my idea and wrapped both arms around me and Emma.

I nuzzled into his chest and let out a contented sigh. I felt complete with him so close. Now that I had found him again I didn't want to let him go. So in that moment I made my decision to stay in Seattle indefinitely.

After about fifteen minutes I realized the others had been looking at us in silence all this time, so I slowly lifted my head and gave Edward a warm smile. He smiled back and gingerly kissed my forehead.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Any time."

We pulled apart and quietly sat down at the table where the rest of the family was waiting for us.

Carlisle said grace for us all before we started the meal. Edward was very quiet beside me and I was dying to know what he was thinking of. My mother took Emma in her lap and motioned her head towards Edward.

I nodded and grabbed his hand. "Come on. We need some time alone," I whispered into his ear.

He smiled wryly but followed me up the stairs and into his room. I sat on the bed and patted the space beside me. He breathed out heavily and sunk down onto the mattress looking almost defeated.

"Edward, look at me."

His eyes met mine and they were troubled as I expected.

"What are you thinking of?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Nothing and everything at the same time. Memories from before you came to live with us. From our time together. Our time apart. I was thinking about where we go from here. What if you don't get a job here? Will you move back to Phoenix? Will I still get to see Emma? Will I still get to see you? Do you still love me?"

As those last words passed his lips he looked absolutely devastated. I felt tears sliding down my cheeks, but I didn't feel like stopping them. I cupped his face in my hands and stared into his eyes.

"Yes, I still love you. The second I saw you in there I was right back to the first day you kissed me. I still love you and I'm still in love with you. I never stopped. I never gave another man a chance because all I could see was you. I know you don't love me any more. I know you want other types of women now, but I can't help that I still love you."

I wanted to say more but was cut off by his lips crashing onto mine. His tongue traced my bottom lip and for once I threw all logic out the window and permitted myself to give in to this gorgeous man that my boy had turned into.

I moaned as his hands slid over my back and pulled me into his lap, so that I was straddling him. He kissed along my jaw and down my neck and the came to a halt at the swell of my breasts.

He pulled his head up and looked me in the eye.

"Bella, I have never for one second stopped loving you. I am still in love with you, like you are with me. I do not want any one but you. I have to admit that I have slept with several women in the six years we were apart, but they all were the exact opposite of you because I wasn't looking for someone to love. I had already found my one true love and lost her. I carefully avoided anyone that looked even remotely like you. I still love you and I am begging you to give me a chance to prove to you that I am still deserving of your love, that I am not the playboy people make me out to be."

I was stunned by his admission. Stunned and completely elated.

"You still love me?"

I needed the extra confirmation.

"Yes."

I couldn't contain the girlish squeal that burst through my lips before I crushed my lips onto his, plunging my tongue into his hot wet mouth. I wanted to taste him, needed to feel him. He was the first and the last man to touch me intimately and all of a sudden I was craving him like a drug.

"I need you," I muttered as I licked the shell of his ear.

"Bella...god...I want you, but there are people downstairs."

"Don't care. I want you, Edward. They expect us to talk for a long time and we're on the fucking third floor. I need you."

His eyes darkened and he pulled my face to his again. His hands ran down my back and cupped my butt, squeezing it tightly and pulling me to him. I felt his length strain against his slacks and gyrated my hips to create the friction I craved.

He lifted me up and turned us around so we could lie down on his bed. He ran his hands from my shoulders over my breasts and down my belly before gripping my hips and pushing my body farther up the bed.

He crawled onto the bed and hovered above me.

"I've missed you so much, love. I was useless without you."

I felt more tears slide down my cheeks and placed my hands on the sides of his face.

"I never gave up on the hope that I'd find you again. For Emma's sake and for my own. I've missed you too, baby. So much."

His kiss was soft and loving as he lowered himself on top of me. But he suddenly pulled back again with an exasperated groan.

"I hate to disappoint you, but I actually don't have condoms here."

I closed my eyes in order to hide my disappointment. "I'm not on birth control either, so unless you want to make another little surprise, we'd better wait."

I heard him sigh and the next thing I knew he fell down beside me, reached over and pulled me into his side.

"Maybe it's better that we wait," he murmured.

"I know."

We lay in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company, softly stroking and caressing.

"There is so much I still have to tell you."

"I know. Same here. You start with something that pops into your head and then I'll tell you something in return," I offered.

"I have suspected that someone saw us that night and informed James or Vicky about us," he stated.

"Huh. I never thought about that, but now that you mention it. It is kind of strange that he knew exactly where we were."

"I know. The thing is, I have an idea who it might have been."

I lifted my head so I could look at him. "Well, who?"

"I think it might have been Tanya."

"Where did you get that idea?"

"Well, don't get upset, but her family moved to Seattle about three months after Carlisle and Esme took me in."

I growled. That twat had been in close contact with my Edward al this time?

"Relax, love. She did attempt to seduce me once, but I made it very clear that if she were the last woman on earth I'd rather do a man."

I snorted. "I hope you didn't tell her in those words."

"I probably should have because even now she occasionally asks me out on a date."

"Wow," I muttered. "Some people just don't give up."

"Indeed. But, now it's your turn to tell me something."

I thought for a moment and then smiled when I remembered what Emma had said the previous day. I kissed him chastely and lay my head back on his chest.

"I have told Emma about you from the day I knew I was pregnant. During my pregnancy I just talked to my growing belly whenever I was alone and told her that she had the most handsome daddy in the world and I would tell her how we met and what it felt like to be in love with you. Then after she was born, I would tell her about you as a bedtime story. When she was about three I started showing her the few pictures I still had of you. So she knew what you looked like."

I looked up at him and kissed him again. "Yesterday she was supposed to stay with a friend, but he was called to work so he took her to stay with me during the party. So I was standing in line, waiting to give my congratulations when all of a sudden Emma whispers in my ear. 'Why does that man look like daddy?' I looked up and sure enough there you were."

"She's a very smart little girl, isn't she?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. She is. She takes after you a lot. She's a little brooding sometimes, but she's very easy among new people and I'm glad for that. If she would be the brooding type along with my stellar social skills, she'd be so lonely."

"I really want to be a father to her, Bella. I want to try."

"I know. That's why I decided that no matter what happens with the job hunt I'll stay in the area. Even if I have to take a temp job. I don't care. Now that I've found you, I want you to get to know your little girl."

His eyes were watering and his smile was overjoyed. I kissed his forehead and cheeks.

"You'll be stuck with us for as long as you want us around."

"God, Bella. You're still so perfect. I love you."

"I love you too," I whispered as my own tears threatened to spill over.

He cradled my face in his hands and reached up to kiss me sweetly. I sighed and gently ran my fingers trough his soft locks. That, at least, hadn't changed.

I was about to ask him to tell me more, when there was a tentative knock at the door. We both sat up and rearranged our clothing and hair and Edward called the knocker in.

It was Alice and she smiled shyly at us.

"Sorry, to interrupt, but we've got coffee and some left over wedding cake. Will you join us downstairs?"

"Sure, Ali. Give us a minute, we'll be right down."

Alice hesitated in the doorway and then with a few quick strides was in front of me and leaning in to hug me fiercely.

"You are going to be the best sister ever. I just know it."

I chuckled. "Thanks, Ali. I'll do my best."

She stood up straight and a mischievous smile spread across her face. "Now I have two more people to shop for!" she exclaimed happily.

"Nope. Not happening. I will not allow you to shop for me or my daughter. We will pay for any necessities ourselves. The only thing I'll grant you is to join us when we do go shopping, but I will not allow you to shop for us."

She pouted and it was nearly impossible not to give in, but I managed. "Now, now young lady," I playfully chided. "You forget I have a five year old with an Edward pout, yours will not work on me."

Edward snorted and Alice giggled and with that the issue was settled. Alice flitted out of the room, leaving me and Edward alone again.

He pulled me off the bed and wrapped his arms around my waist. I leaned my head on his shoulder and relaxed into him. After a couple of minutes we disentangled ourselves and went downstairs to join our family.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: The rights to these characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The plotline is mine.

* * *

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Chapter thirteen

**Epov**

Originally Charlie and Renee had planned to go sightseeing with the girls before they flew back to Phoenix, but with all the new information they asked Esme and Carlisle if they could spend the day with all of us instead.

I suggested we go to the zoo and received an enthusiastic response from both Emma and surprisingly, Jasper. Apparently they were both big fans and Bella laughed happily as Emma launched into a story of the last trip she took to the zoo with Jasper.

I admit, I was a bit jealous that he had known Bella and my daughter when I was so far away from them. I knew it was unreasonable, so I shoved those thoughts back, but Bella, being Bella, noticed something was up.

"So, Edward. When is the last time you've been to the zoo?" She asked me sweetly.

I chuckled. "I think it's been almost twenty years."

"Seriously? You've been missing out." She knelt down in front of Emma and looked her in the eye. "What do you say, Emma? Do you want to be Edward's tour guide in the zoo?"

Emma's eyes lit up and she grabbed my hand in both of hers. "Can I daddy? Can I show you the animals?"

The room went completely silent and Emma looked very panicked, so I decided it was time to do some damage control

I picked up Emma and placed her on my hip. "Of course you can, sweetie. Who better to show me than my own daughter?"

I leaned in and whispered into her ear. "It's okay, honey. You can call me daddy. They all know."

Emma sighed and pretended to wipe sweat off her forehead, causing everybody to erupt into laughter. She hugged me tightly for a moment and kissed my cheek.

"So are we ready to head out?" I asked.

"We need to go by Rose and Em's apartment so I can make sure I have what I need for Emma, but it's on the way so it won't take too long."

Little over an hour later we arrived at the zoo. Emma was bouncing in her seat and Alice, who was sitting beside her, was getting infected by our daughter's enthusiasm. And of course because she was already bubbly all by herself, she was venturing in the direction of hyperactive, which in turn only made Emma more giddy.

When Bella took her from the car, she set her on her feet and crouched down with a serious expression.

"Em, I want you to do a couple of things for me today. First, always stay with me or daddy, no wandering off on your own and if you're not with me or daddy but with one of the others, I want you to tell us, okay?"

Emma nodded.

"Second, if you want something, don't go yelling or screaming, just come to me and ask."

Again Emma nodded.

"Good. Now do you want to show daddy your favourite animals."

"Yay!" Emma shouted and then quickly slapped her tiny hand over her mouth. "Sorry, mommy. I won't shout so much, promise."

Bella kissed her cheek and stood back up. Emma came bounding up to me and grabbed my hand.

"Let's go, daddy. I have sooo much to show you."

I smiled down at her and let her pull me to the entrance of the zoo. I heard Alice giggle behind me.

"Aren't they sweet together?" I heard her say.

"Yes, they are. I can't believe none of you saw the similarities yesterday," Bella responded.

I chuckled and paid for the tickets for everyone. Jasper came up beside me and Emma slipped her free hand into his.

"Hey, Uncle Jazzy, have you ever been to this zoo?"

"No, munchkin. This is the first time."

Emma smiled happily up at him and again I felt this irrational jealousy. Jasper noticed the shift in my demeanour and smiled apologetically at me.

"I know this might be a bit frustrating for you, knowing that me and Rose have seen her grow up, when you've missed out on all that. If any of us had known where to find you, we would've made sure you and Bella would be together."

"Thanks. I really owe you and Rosalie a big thank you for being there for Bella."

"It's no problem. She's a sweet girl and has a heart of gold."

Emma had been very quiet during our conversation so I looked down at her, but she was just smiling happily.

"She is a bit nosy," Jasper whispered and I laughed.

"Look, daddy there are the monkeys!" Emma said excitedly.

I heard Bella laugh behind me and glanced over my shoulder. "What's so funny, love?"

"Emmett explained once how we are related to the monkeys, but Emma didn't believe him, because she thought Emmett was far to large to be related to monkeys. That was until she saw the gorilla's. She named the biggest one uncle Emmett. He's still not over it."

I chuckled. "Well, it does suit him."

She smiled warmly at me and my heart fluttered wildly.

Our parents were trailing behind and talking animatedly together and somehow it felt like we had been close for years. I had a momentary vision of me and Bella sitting in the backyard of my house with our family and friends around. Bella's stomach round with our second child and Emma in my lap unwrapping presents.

I knew I wanted that for us, but I also knew that we needed to work trough our individual issues. We both had fucked up pasts and although I suspected that Bella had at least had some therapy after we were torn apart, I wondered if she had completely worked through all of it or that she had merely pushed parts of it down.

I knew I needed therapy for the things that have happened to me since I was seven and I did try when I first arrived with Carlisle and Esme, but I gave up before real progress was made. The pain of losing Bella was to raw and therapy was only making matters worse for me.

Emma pulled me out of our musings when she insisted we go into the reptile house. I was surprised by her insistence but she explained that her class had done a project on snakes and now she found them interesting.

Alice had engaged Jasper into conversation and our parents had decided to get some coffee in a restaurant we had passed a few minutes earlier, so it was only me, Bella and Emma. Bella smiled timidly at me, but then grabbed my free arm and placed it over her shoulders, while she snaked her arm around my waist.

I looked down at her and smiled. She reached up and kissed me softly on the lips. A small giggle from Emma made me look down at her and she was beaming up at us.

"Mommy, will we stay with daddy now?"

"Sweetie, we'll stay close to daddy, but we'll live in our own house."

I was about to comment but Bella leaned in to whisper in my ear. "I don't want her to get her hopes up in case something goes wrong between us. I'd love to tell her different but we've only been back in each other's lives for twenty-four hours."

I nodded and kissed her temple. "I understand. We'll take things slow."

The rest of the afternoon was fun and easy and I revelled in the feeling of doing this with my family. Emma was so easily accepting of me, even calling me daddy without anybody setting her up to it. I just hoped and prayed that she wouldn't change her mind about me.

We took Charlie and Renee to the airport on our way back and I dropped Emma and Bella off at my brother's apartment. I had asked my mother if she would mind watching Emma next Friday so I could take Bella out on a date and she happily agreed.

"I'd love to take care of my first granddaughter. She's so much like you. I can't believe I didn't see it earlier."

I chuckled. "That's what Bella said, too."

"Bella's a sweet girl. You make sure to do right by her."

"I will mom, I promise."

She smiled warmly at me and went back to my father.

So now we were walking down the hallway and I was actually getting nervous about asking Bella to dinner. I knew it was crazy because of our history and the things we had said to each other since yesterday, but I couldn't stop fidgeting.

"Edward? What's wrong?" she asked as we stopped at Emmett's door.

"I can't believe I'm this nervous."

"Why should you be nervous?"

"Um…Will you allow me to take you out to dinner this Friday?"

She laughed light-heartedly. "I already told you I would. I just need to find a sitter for Emma."

"I asked Esme this afternoon and she really wants to have some time with Emma. So, if you agree, she will watch Emma that night."

"That's a great idea. Hold that thought for a second, though."

She knelt down to Emma's level. "Hey, sweetie. Do you mind staying with your nanna Esme and grandpa Carlisle Friday night?"

"Can I have a sleepover in daddy's room?"

"I think she won't mind."

"Then I don't mind."

Bella kissed her and smiled up at me. "Looks like it's a date."

"Great. Listen I have to work the rest of the week, but can I see the both of you before Friday?"

"Sure. Where do you work, anyway?"

"I work at a high school as a music teacher. It's on the other side of town."

"What it called?"

"West High."

"You're kidding me. It's one of the school's I have an interview at. But aren't classes over for the summer?"

"Yeah, but I have some students that are working on a piece for a big music competition in two weeks. The school lets us use the music room for the next two weeks."

"So, you're a music teacher?"

"Yeah, I just finished my first year teaching."

"I'm impressed. And now I really hope I will land that job at West High."

"I'll put in a good word for you."

"You don't have to do that."

"Let me do that for you. It's the least I can do for the mother of my child."

At my last words I heard a loud gasp. I spun around and saw Kate Denali and her boyfriend Garret McKay standing there.

I completely forgot that they lived on this floor and I felt all colour drain from my face. Kate looked shocked and opened her mouth to say something but snapped it shut again.

Emma pulled clutched my leg and peered at Kate. Bella was at my side and her eyes went wide.

"Kate?"

"Oh my…Bella?"

They both squealed and rushed forward to hug each other. I released the breath I was holding.

"Daddy?" Emma asked distressed.

I picked her up and hugged her. "It's okay, baby. That's Kate, she's a friend of your momma."

She seemed placated and stared at Bella and Kate, who were now staring incredulously at each other.

"I can't believe it's really you. I hated Tanya for making us move when you left. I hoped to talk to you, but I never got the chance to find you. Instead when I went to ask my dad to find you he simply stated that Tanya had told him you were a bad influence and that she had insisted we move. It was so crazy," Kate babbled.

"Seriously? God, I wish I would have gone to find you sooner. I went to your house a few months after I found out I was pregnant to see if you or your dad could help me find Edward, but it was empty."

"Oh, Bells. I'm so sorry. I tried to pry some information from my father, but he refused every time."

"It's not your fault, Kate."

"But you're here. With a kid and Edward. How?"

"It's a long story. Do you and your boyfriend want to come in? I can make us all a quick dinner."

She looked at me with her last statement. "I've got time."

"Good. Kate?"

"I'd love to. Just let me and Garret freshen up and we'll be right back."

"Great. I'll leave the door open, so just come on in when you're ready."

Kate hugged Bella again and whispered something I couldn't hear. Both girls smiled a watery smile and I knew it must've been something emotional.

We went inside and Bella asked me to play with Emma while she was busy with dinner. She was humming softly to herself while she moved around the kitchen.

Emma wanted to watch a cartoon, so I turned on the TV and sat her on my lap. She didn't even last five minutes before she was sleeping. I turned her to the side so I could hold her better and softly kissed the top of her head.

I hadn't noticed Kate and Garrett entering but the 'aww' coming from the doorway alerted me to their presence.

"Hey, guys. Take a seat, Bella's in the kitchen."

"I'll see if she can use a hand," Kate suggested and headed into the kitchen.

Garrett sat down on the chair next to where I sat and grinned at me.

"I bet you've been through some intense stuff since we last saw you."

"You have no idea."

"So how did you even run into her?"

"Believe it or not, Bella is the cousin that Rose and Em have been raving about. She was at their wedding yesterday and when I saw her and Emma I immediately realized Emma was mine. Things just spun out of control pretty quickly. I still can't believe what happened in the last thirty-six hours. It's crazy."

"I can only imagine, but how is it that Emma is already calling you daddy?"

"Bella had some pictures of me and has apparently made sure that Emma knew who her daddy was, no matter that she had no possibility to get in touch with me."

"If I didn't know this was all true, I would've thought I landed into a soap opera."

"You and me both, buddy. But all the proof I need is right here," I murmured, stroking Emma's hair softly.

"She does look a lot like the both of you."

I smiled and fell into easy conversation with Garret. He was one of my colleagues at West High and I told him that Bella had applied there. He agreed with me that with our support she might land the job. We both knew there had been a lot of applications and although I didn't doubt Bella's capability, having two teachers on staff to support her might be exactly what she needed.

"There's only one slight problem," Garret said quietly.

"What?"

"It appears that Tanya had taken it upon herself to coach the cheerleading team."

"When did she take the position?"

"Kate told me she asked for it when she found out you had gotten the position in the music department, but the woman coaching them didn't want to give up the job. Her daughter was on the team. She resigned at the end of this year after her daughter graduated. Tanya, of course, jumped right in and volunteered to do it free of charge."

I shook my head sadly. "That woman is a pain in the ass. How can she and Kate have come from the same parents?"

"No idea. She's one of the reasons that we hardly visit her parents. She moved back in with them about three months ago."

I laughed lightly. "Couldn't take care of herself?"

"Apparently," Garret said, smirking.

The girls came into the room, each carrying a couple of steaming plates. The smell that wafted off them was mouth watering.

"Wow, Bella. What is that?" Garrett asked excitedly.

"Mushroom Ravioli," she stated while placing the plates she was holding on the table.

"I'll just put Emma down. She's too tired to eat anyway."

"Can I help?" I offered.

"Sure, come with me."

I followed her to the guest room where there were two single beds against either wall. I laid Emma on one of the beds while Bella went to one of the suitcases against the wall and pulled out a pair of pyjama's.

"Just wait here a sec. I'm going to get a wash cloth."

She was back within a few minutes and got Emma ready for bed. She tucked her in and sat down at her side. Emma's eyes fluttered open and her tiny arms reached for me.

Bella got up and motioned for me to go to her. I sat in the same spot where Bella had been and Emma hugged my neck. She kissed my cheek and I kissed hers.

"Night, daddy."

"Night, baby. Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite."

Emma giggled and settled back onto her pillow. Bella gave her another kiss and we went back to our guests together.

_

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_

_A/N: So what do you all think? Do you believe in fate? I know I do. Please review and let me know._

_Love, Mo_


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters, I merely invented the plotline.

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**

Chapter Fourteen

**Bpov**

I couldn't discard the feeling that fate was interfering when we saw Kate and her boyfriend standing in the hallway of Emmett's apartment building. It was like all the stars had lined up just so I could return to the man I loved and the friends I had missed so dearly. It was a bit overwhelming, but at the same time it felt right.

When Kate was in the kitchen with me, she bombarded me with questions.

"How on earth did you end up here?"

"Emmett, Edward's brother, just got married to my cousin, Rosalie. So we got reunited yesterday at their wedding."

"Only yesterday? But you seemed so comfortable together. Like you've been seeing each other for years."

I chuckled. "Well, what did you expect. We used to live in the same house and we had a pretty intense relationship. It helps with the comfort factor."

"But what about your daughter? She's already calling him daddy."

"First off our girl is smart and she's very perceptive. But the biggest reason is that she has always known who her father was. I showed her pictures every night and told her time and again how I had met Edward and how we had fallen in love. She's the one that first recognized him. I hadn't even seen him yet."

"And he's so sweet with her. He's a natural isn't he?"

"Yes he is. But today I noticed that he was struggling with himself a lot. I know it must be overwhelming. Hell, it is for me and I have raised Emma. He didn't even know he was a father, so I don't blame him for second guessing himself."

"I'm sure you guys will work it out. You two are perfect for each other, just like you were all those years ago."

"Thanks Kate, that means a lot."

"You're welcome. So, how long will you be staying in the greater Seattle area?"

"It all depends on whether I can get a position as an English teacher at one of the school I have an interview with."

"Does one of them happen to be West High?"

"Yes. I heard Edward say he works there?"

"Yes. But Garret does too. He teaches history. I'm sure the boys will put in a good word for you."

"I don't need them to do that. They don't owe me."

"Please, Bella. Stop with the modesty. There have been a ton of applicants and you've been invited for an interview. Having two members of staff to support you will make sure you land that job. Think of Emma. You'll almost have a guaranteed position."

"I guess you're right. It just feels unnatural for me to accept help like that. I fought hard to raise Emma and finish school at the same time. It's been rough and I managed most of it on my own. My adoptive parents were always begging me to let them help out more, but it was just difficult for me to accept."

"I understand, Bella. I really do. But you have to accept some help so you can stay close to Edward."

I smiled and continued with the sauce I was preparing. Kate helped me cook the pasta and we chatted about some lighter subjects until dinner was ready. When we returned to the room, Emma was sleeping in Edward's lap and we went to put her to bed. Seeing Emma reach out to him for a goodnight hug, was heart-warming and the look on Edward's face told me he was ecstatic. Just like a good father would be.

We returned to the living room and ate our dinner with Kate and Garret. We told Garret the shortened version of our shared history, although he knew parts of it through Kate already, and he was very kind and warm about it all. He even offered his and Kate's babysitting services if we ever were in need.

"Thank you so much, Garret. We'll keep it in mind, although at the moment we have to fight off the potential babysitters."

He chuckled. "I take it there are several relatives that want to get to know the little squirt, huh?"

"Indeed. Edward's parents are over the moon with her. It's so wonderful to know there is such a big network. Not only Edward's family, but also my friends Jacob Black and Leah Clearwater."

Kate shook her head silently.

"What is it, honey?" Garret asked.

"I was just thinking that it seems like there is a greater force at work here. It's almost like, no matter what you were supposed to meet again. If it hadn't happened through Rose and Emmett, it would've been through Jacob and Leah, or maybe school."

"I've been thinking the same thing," I murmured, more to myself than the others, but they heard and all nodded.

"So, on a lighter subject, or so I hope. Kate tell me how you managed to snatch this wonderful man," I said with a wink at Garret.

I know we only just met him, but I was already fond of him.

"I was in college, working on a paper in the library when a guy comes up to me and plops down on the chair beside me. I was at a table with more than twenty chairs, all empty, and he just sits down next to me. So I chose to ignore him. Big mistake."

Kate was beaming, so I knew this wasn't a bad thing.

"So this guy leans over, wipes my hair behind my shoulder and whispers 'Where have you come from, my angel?'. Needless to say I started snorting. You know me. I don't do well with corny. Anyway, I was laughing at him and before I knew what was happening, he placed his finger under my chin, turned my head towards him and kissed me! At first I tried to pull away from him, but then I realized I liked it so I kissed him back. We've been together ever since. I must say we've done some things in the wrong order, but what can I say? We're happy together."

Garret winked at her and Edward simply pulled me into his side and placed a kiss on my temple.

The rest of the evening was spent talking about anything that popped into our heads. It was past midnight when we decided to call it a night and Kate and Garret headed down the hall to their own house.

"Are you going home, or do you want to crash here? You could take the master bedroom and I will sleep in the room with Emma."

Edward smirked and wrapped his arms around my waist. "We could share the master bedroom."

"We could do that, but I don't want Emma to get the wrong idea when she wakes up and finds us in the same bed."

"I was kidding, love. I would love to stay the night, especially with you in the same bed, but I think it's best for now if I just drive home. I don't live that far away."

I felt relieved and disappointed at the same time and by the look on his face, he felt the same. I kissed him once more and stepped out of his embrace.

"Can I call you tomorrow?" he asked with a faint smile.

"Why don't you come over for dinner? Emma and I would like that."

"Sure. What time shall I be here?"

"Does six suit you?"

"Yes. I can work with that. Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight, Edward."

With one last kiss he walked away and left me staring after him like a love-sick teenager. And I really didn't care.

~*~

On Monday afternoon, just after I put Emma down for her nap, there was a knock at the door. Not knowing who to expect I peered through the spyglass in the door and to my surprise it was Jasper.

"Hey, you," I said as I opened the door for him.

"Hi, Bells. Can I come in?"

"Of course. I just put Emma down for her nap. Do you want something to drink?"

"Coffee would be nice."

I gestured for him to take a seat and went to make us some coffee. When I returned to the living room, two steaming cups in hand, I noticed at once that something was up.

I sat down across from Jasper and slid his cup across the table.

"Okay, Jazz. Talk."

"Sorry?"

"You look like something is troubling you. Spit it out."

"I wanted to ask you how serious you are about moving to Seattle."

I shrugged. "Pretty serious, especially in light of recent developments."

"Okay."

He was fidgeting with the hem of his shirt and he looked everywhere but at me. It made me nervous and I told him so.

"Sorry, Bella. I'm just very confused. I really miss Rosalie now that she's moved up here and Jacob and Leah were always fun to have around, but my parents are in Phoenix and I have a decent job there. And you were there with Emma."

"Are you thinking of moving up here as well?"

"It's been something I've been thinking of ever since you mentioned applying for a job here. If I stay behind in Phoenix I'll only have mom and dad and maybe Charlotte and Peter, but you know how flighty they are. I'm surprised they stayed put as long as they have."

"Why are you unsure?"

"I don't really know. I can find a job here, with my degree it shouldn't be a problem."

"Are you afraid to leave your folks behind?"

"A bit. I know that I could've moved away for college and it would've been the same, but somehow I just feel like I'm the last they have."

"Did you talk to them about it?"

"No. Not yet."

"Why don't you do that. I talked to Charlie and Renee when I first thought of it and they were really supportive. Charlie even mentioned that there would be a job opening up that he was interested in, in a town called Forks. It's a four hour drive from here, but it'll still be closer than Phoenix, so he's keeping an open mind. Just talk to your parents, they might surprise you."

"I will. Now, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"Could this be about Alice?"

"What? No! No, it's not about Alice. Why do you say that?"

I shrugged. "I just noticed the way you two flocked towards each other in the past two days."

"Well, she is a very nice girl and I think I could be friends with her."

"Jasper, there was something more there than friendship."

"I don't want to discuss this."

"Why not?"

"Because I've still been seeing Maria up until I came up here."

"What? Jasper, you guys broke it off six months ago because she cheated on you! How can you take her back?"

"I don't want to talk about this. I want to talk to you about Edward."

"What about him?"

"I just wanted to warn you that he has been known to treat women badly. I know that he was a decent guy when you were with him before, but he's changed. Be careful."

"Don't you start with me mister! I can take care of myself. I have proven it to you time and time again."

"But that was different. Those were just guys who asked you out on a date."

"Jasper if you value our friendship you will shut up about this. I know Edward and no matter what he has done with women over the past six years, he is still the same man underneath. He told me about his flings and the reason why he never sought anything more meaningful and I believe what he said on that subject."

Jasper looked weary, but eventually help up is hands in surrender.

"I won't bring it up again."

"Good."

"Can I make it up to you by taking you and Emma out to dinner tonight?"

"Sorry, not tonight. We have a guest coming over."

"Tomorrow then? I'm leaving for Phoenix on Wednesday."

"Sure. Tomorrow will be fine."

"Great. I'll get going now. I wanted to check out the city and maybe take some pictures."

I stood and walked him to the door. "Have fun and I will see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Bells," he said quietly before kissing my cheek and ducking out the door.

I couldn't escape the feeling that there was something else that was troubling Jasper, but I decided I would worry about it when he felt the need to fill me in.

About an hour later Emma woke up from her nap and she kept my mind busy until it was time for me to start dinner. At exactly six there was another knock at the door.

"Hey, Em. That's daddy, go open the door," I called from the kitchen.

"Kay!" she yelled back before I heard her little footsteps run up to the front door.

"Daddy!" she squealed.

I shook my head and chuckled at her enthusiasm. Emma could give Alice a run for her money on that one.

"Hey there, beautiful," a soft velvet voice came from the doorway.

I turned to look at him and smiled. "Hi, handsome. How was your day?"

"Pretty busy. The kids are working really hard, though. I think they'll have a good chance at winning some prizes."

"That's great. Can you grab those plates and set the table for me, dinner's almost ready."

"One condition."

I arched an eyebrow and folded my arms across my chest.

"I want a welcome home kiss."

I giggled and stepped closer to him. "I see that you still have the corny lines."

He smirked and cupped my face in his hands. "Only for you," he whispered as he gently caressed my lips with his.

I melted under his light touch and slid my arms around his neck, pressing my lips more urgently against his. He moaned softly and his tongue traced my lips. I opened my mouth and just as our tongues met, a loud thud came from the living room.

I was out of the kitchen in a flash and to my relief saw that nothing major had happened. Emma had apparently stumbled and fallen to the floor and she was now sitting on the ground, sulking.

"Hey, baby. Did you fall?"

"Yes. Stupid thin air."

I bit back a laugh and sat down beside her. "What happened?"

"Nothing. I was just going to see where you and daddy were and then I was on the floor. It's not fair!"

I pulled her into my lap and kissed her on the top of her head.

"I know it's not fair, but you are like me. You will grow out of it eventually."

She pondered this for a moment and then smiled happily at me before jumping up and rushing over to Edward. She launched herself at him and I thanked god that he had fast reflexes, because he caught her without trouble.

"Well, now that this is solved. Can you set the table?"

"Yes, ma'am," Edward said while tipping an imaginary hat.

I shook my head an got up to finish dinner.

Dinner was wonderful. I felt like we were a true family and the warmth that spread through me was addictive. I revelled in it, knowing it would pass as soon as Edward left.

"Bella?"

"Hm?"

"Did you hear me?"

"No. What did you say?"

"I asked you when your first interview is."

"Oh. Tomorrow at two. I was going to drop Emma off with Leah."

"Alice texted me today and asked me to remind you that she has clothes for you."

"Oh, right! I totally forgot. I'll call her tomorrow morning."

"Just let me," he said holding up a finger.

He dialled and waited for about three seconds before I heard a voice on the other end.

"Hey, Alice...Yes. I wanted to tell you that Bella has her first interview tomorrow afternoon.....Hold on."

He smirked and handed me the phone. 'Good luck' he mouthed.

"Alice?"

"Hi! How are you?"

"Fine."

"Listen I will meet you at the apartment tomorrow at nine so I can take you to my office. I will make sure we got the hairdresser and make-up artist ready for you. I have the perfect outfit!"

"Alice, I can't accept that."

"Oh, pish posh. You'll accept it, believe me. Besides those people are already there and the clothes were gifts for photo shoots."

"Fine. See you tomorrow."

"Yay! Okay I'll let you get back to my brother and remember...be safe!"

I was about to retort but the line was already dead. Edward was laughing quietly at my expression. I huffed and shoved the phone back towards him.

"Relax, love. Alice always gets her way when it concerns fashion. You'll look lovely, as you always do, and Alice is happy because she gets the idea that she contributed. Where is the interview?"

"West High," I said smiling.

"Then don't bother with a babysitter. I will stay a bit late and watch Emma while you have your interview."

"You would do that?"

"Of course, love. Now what do you say I take you girls out for ice cream?"

Emma bobbed her head enthusiastically and I knew that if I refused now she would be a nightmare to get to bed, so I smiled and accepted the offer.

We were on holiday after all.

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_A/N: So who wants to go get ice cream with Edward? _

_Love you all for reading my stuff, adding it to alert of favourite lists and reviewing._

_Hugs, Mo_


	15. Chapter 15

******Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters, I merely invented the plotline.**

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**Chapter fifteen**

**Epov**

The drive down town was funny to say the least. Emma was constantly nagging Bella when we would be there and then asking me random questions about my favourite colour and animal and all kinds of stuff that popped into her head. More than once I noticed Bella roll her eyes and I had to fight back the chuckle that welled up in my throat.

"If I didn't know any better I'd think she was related to Alice," I whispered in Bella's ear.

She shivered a little and smirked. "You might be right. You sure, Alice isn't blood related?"

"Not that I know of. But maybe we should find out if we have any relatives sometime."

I don't know where the idea came from, but it suddenly seemed like a good thing to do. It might be important to know what medical history they had in case something ever happened to Emma. So when Bella looked doubtful I quickly explained it to her and she agreed that we should try looking into it once she'd gotten her own place.

It was on the tip of my tongue to offer her to move in with me, but I didn't want to rush her. We'd only found each other on Friday and we've missed out on five years. I knew I still loved her and she still loved me, but the rational part of me kept reminding me not to dive head first into a relationship with her. Especially now that we had Emma to consider.

Should Bella and I not work out, she'd be the one getting hurt and if there was anything in the world I could do, I would keep Emma safe from all heart ache from now on. Including that which might be caused by myself.

We pulled up in front of the ice cream parlour and I went to the back to get Emma out of her booster seat.

"Remind me to buy one of those," I said over my shoulder to Bella.

"I will. If you will help me find a decent, cheap car."

I frowned. Bella shouldn't have to drive a cheap car. I could buy her a good car, a new one even. I'd discuss it with Carlisle. He was in charge of the trust fund he set up for all three of us and I could use money from it if he agreed with it. I wouldn't gain it completely until I had turned twenty-five of had gotten married beforehand, but Carlisle was always lenient if any of us needed some of the money to invest in something important. I figured the safety of Bella and our daughter would be important enough to get the money.

"I promise to help you look for a car as long as you allow me to pay the difference between what you can afford and what I want you to buy."

"Excuse me? Are you going to decide what kind of car I buy?"

"I promise I won't go overboard, but I want the mother of my child and my daughter to drive something safe."

She had Emma on her hip now and was looking at me, probably gauging my sincerity.

"Fine. As long as you don't go overboard."

"I won't and I promise you I can afford whatever you chose. I've gotten very lucky with my foster parents."

She rolled her eyes. "I kind of figured as much, judging by the house. But please don't tell me all of it, I might start to feel even more inferior to you that I already do."

We had by entered the ice cream parlour and Emma demanded out attention by asking Bella to put her down so she could chose the flavours she wanted. She looked up at me with her big green eyes and her lip in a little pout.

"O, no you don't," Bella whispered. She leaned over and pulled my ear closer to her mouth.

"This is where she pulls out her most adorable pout and then continues to ask you something you probably shouldn't give in to."

"Mommy, it's not polite to whisper," Emma said, crossing her arms over her chest sending Bella a glare.

I chuckled and knelt down in front of her. "So, have you chosen a flavour?"

"There are so many. I can't chose. How many scoops can I have, daddy?"

I felt Bella poke two fingers into my back and grinned. "You can have two, sweetie."

She pouted a little more and turned to the glass to contemplate her choices. I stood back up and pulled Bella into my chest.

"Thank you," I whispered into her hair.

"It's nothing. You'll learn soon enough that she's a little manipulator and how to deal with that. Besides you've had practice with Alice."

I squeezed her once more before kissing her lightly on the lips and pulling away from her. Bella smiled warmly at me. Her eyes were glittering with happiness and she literally took my breath away. I got lost in her eyes and was about to kiss her more urgently, when Emma grabbed my hand and tugged on it.

"Daddy, I know what I want. I want chocolate and cookie caramel."

"Well, that sounds just delicious I think I will take the same and you, Bella?" I asked turning towards her.

"The same, please."

I smiled and ordered our ice creams. We took a seat near the back and were chatting easily while we ate our cones, until I heard a high pitched voice that made me cower into the corner.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked.

"Someone neither of us wants to see."

She looked confused for a moment and then turned around to look at the front of the store. I heard her groan and she turned to me with an exasperated look on her face.

"What are the odds that _she_ walks in here?"

I shrugged. "Incredibly slim, but apparently the gods are against us."

She smiled and patted my hand reassuringly. "It'll be fine. Duck your head and just ignore her. She might not see you."

I wanted to say something but was cut off by a loud squeal.

"Eddie! It's been so long!" Tanya exclaimed, hurrying over to our table.

She didn't even acknowledge Bella and Emma before she threw her arms around my neck and jumped into my lap. This was definitely a first.

"Tanya, get the fuck off of me."

Emma's eyes grew wide and I wanted to smack myself for using that kind of language in front of her. My eyes flew towards Bella and she was silently laughing at my predicament.

I rolled my eyes and returned my focus to Tanya, who hadn't moved an inch.

"Tanya. I asked you to get off of my lap."

"Not until I get a kiss."

I huffed and proceeded to grab her waist and put her back onto her feet.

"I will never kiss you," I muttered.

Emma's giggles made me smile, but the smile froze on my face at her next words.

"No. Daddy only kisses mommy now."

Tanya turned around so fast that she almost toppled over. Her eyes flew from Emma to Bella to me and back to Bella.

"Who are you and who's the brat?" Tanya hissed.

Emma was smart enough to recognize the insult for what it was and I saw her eyes start to water. Her lip was quivering and she dropped her gaze to her almost eaten cone. It broke my heart to see my little girl like that, so I got up and picked her up off her chair. I sat down in her place and sat her on my lap, cradling her against my chest.

"Don't you ever call my daughter a brat, again," Bella spat. "And as for who I am. Look a little closer, Tanya!"

Tanya narrowed her eyes at Bella and raised her hand as if she was going to slap her, but dropped it as soon as she recognized Bella.

"Oh, my god. It's you." The venom was dripping from her voice. "How did you find him?"

"Serendipity. His brother married my cousin last Friday."

"After everything I have done to drive you apart," Tanya muttered softly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Bella asked, looking suspicious.

The look on Tanya's face betrayed that she didn't expect any of us to hear.

"Nothing. I'll see you in school, Edward," she muttered before stomping off.

Bella turned to me and reached for Emma, who still had her face buried in my neck. I pried her hands away from my shirt and handed her over to Bella.

"Does she work at West High?" she asked quietly.

"Garrett told me on Saturday that she volunteered to train the cheerleaders. I wasn't sure if I should tell you before the interview or after. I don't want you to refuse the job just because of her."

"I won't. If anything it'll give me a chance to prove how little chance she's got with you," she said with a wink.

I chuckled. She was truly amazing and I silently said a little prayer that she would be hired tomorrow. One more ally in that school would be exactly what I needed. Especially now that Tanya had weaselled her way into a job there.

We finished out ice cream and returned to Rose and Em's home in silence. Emma had thankfully brushed off Tanya's comment and was back to her happy self. After tucking Emma in I said goodbye to Bella and told her I'd meet her in the parking lot of the school before her interview tomorrow. She kissed me chastely and waited for me to disappear into the elevator.

~*~

The following day I was distracted. I had my students work on their own pieces so I could indulge in my Bella clouded thoughts.

I kept reliving the past few days and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get rid of the smile that stretched across my face. As the time came for my students to pack up their things and for me to head to the parking lot to wait for Bella, I heard two of them whisper about me.

"I wonder what had Mr. Cullen so happy. He's usually so stoic."

"Maybe he has a new girlfriend."

The girl that made the first statement, Emily, saw me looking at them and yanked her friend's arm and they hurried out of the classroom. I just chuckled and locked the door on my way out.

I caught myself humming as I walked down the halls and chuckled at myself. Apparently Emily and Casey were right. I was happy. That is, until I came outside and found Mike friggin' Newton leaning in towards my two girls.

Bella looked uncomfortable and as I got closer I could hear him using his seductive voice, which was pretty hilarious.

"So, how did a beautiful woman like yourself end up as a single parent?"

I rolled my eyes and swiftly stepped around him and took Emma from Bella.

"She's not a single parent, Mike." I said, trying hard to remain calm and collected.

"Ah, Cullen. Why am I not surprised that you pretend to have claim over this beauty? But she clearly doesn't have a ring on her finger and I know for a fact that you don't have a kid."

I smirked and opened my mouth to say something, but once again my girl did the work for me.

"Well, as nice as it was to talk to you, Mr. Newton, I really have to head over to the office for my interview. Emma, listen to daddy, okay?"

"Sure mom. Good luck."

"Thanks sweetie, love you."

"Love you too."

Bella turned her eyes to me and smiled. I leaned down to capture her lips with mine in a slow loving kiss.

"Good luck, sweetheart."

"Thanks, baby. I will find you when I'm done."

"I'll probably be in the music room."

She nodded and headed off to the main office. Leaving a stunned Mike Newton staring after her. He whirled around on his heel and looked between me and Emma and then finally realisation flashed across his face.

"She's really your kid."

"Yes. She is."

"What did you do, Cullen? Bang her and then let her deal with the consequences?"

"No and watch what you say around my daughter. We were pulled apart. It's a long and rather personal story, but the point is that she's back in my life and I'm not letting her go, so stay away from her."

He nodded mutely and looked at Emma. "She's a beauty. A perfect mixture of her mother and you. That'll keep you up at night in about ten years," he added with a wink and a snicker.

I had never thought about that, but suddenly I had visions of me threatening boys before they took Emma out on a date. I shuddered. For now she was a sweet five year old and I was nowhere near ready to think of her growing up.

Mike noticed my expression and started laughing. When he caught his breath he shook his head. "I'll stay away from Bella. I promise. You take care of those two girls."

"Thanks, Mike. See you around."

Who would've thought Mike Newton could be a nice guy? I guess I maybe judged him too much on his first impression.

I took Emma, who once again had just silently been listening, with me to the music room. When I opened the door her eyes went wide.

"This is where I work," I told her quietly.

She took in the entire room and sighed. "It's so cool here."

"I think so. Do you want to listen to me play the piano?"

She nodded enthusiastically and I sat her down on the piano bench. I slid in beside her and opened the cover. She cocked her head to the side and looked at the keys with intense curiosity. I kissed the top of her head and started playing the tune to the little mermaid. Emma's eyes flew up to my face and her smile was brilliant.

She hummed along, swaying from side to side a little while I played. When the song finished she sighed again.

"That was so pretty."

"Do you want me to teach you?"

Her eyes went wide once again. "Can I learn that?"

"Well, why don't we start with something simple first and then if you can do that I can teach you a little more."

"Okay."

I smiled down at her and sat her on my lap. I place her tiny fingers on some of the keys and told her to press down. She giggled when she produced her fist sounds. We continued working at the piano for a long time and I felt like I was flying every time Emma exclaimed how much she loved playing the piano.

We were so focused on what we were doing that we hadn't realized we had gotten a small audience. It was only when I recognized Bella's sigh from behind us, that we turned around to find Bella, Mike, Garrett and Principal Brown looking at us.

Emma suddenly went all shy and hid her face in my chest.

"Mr. Cullen," Mr. Brown said as her walked over to us. "I thought you might like to know that we decided to hire Ms. Swan. I understand you and Ms. Swan have this lovely young lady together. I must say fatherhood looks good on you, son."

I smiled at him "Thanks sir."

I turned to Bella then. "So you got the job?"

She nodded, a bright smile across her face. I picked Emma up and sat her on the bench.

"I'll be right back, sweetie, but I need to congratulate mommy, okay?"

I turned back to Bella and enveloped her in my arms. I crashed my lips to hers, causing her to whimper. She threaded her fingers in my hair and melted into me.

Someone clearing their throat beside us, broke us from our haze and we broke apart instantly. Bella's cheeks were a bright crimson and I was sure mine were also flushed in embarrassment.

The others simply looked amused and Emma was beaming like she had just found out she was a real princess. Bella shifted a little uncomfortably and then ducked down to pick Emma up.

"So, did you have fun with daddy?"

"Yes. I played the piano."

"I saw. You sounded really good."

"Not as good as daddy, though."

I smiled at the two of them. "If you practice enough you might get better than me," I told Emma reassuringly.

We exchanged another hand full of pleasantries with our gathered colleagues and then headed outside to go home. I wanted so badly to take the girls home with me that I just blurted it out when we got to the car.

"Bella, will you and Emma come live with me?"

* * *

_A/N: So the bitch Tanya is back and Bella got the job. What do you think, should we trust Mike? Let me know what you think._

_Thanks for all the support, guys._

_Love, Mo_


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer : Stephenie Meyer owns the characters, I own the plot.**

* * *

Chapter sixteen

**Bpov**

Watching Edward with Emma at that piano was overwhelming. I felt like I was being swept up in the wave of emotions that coursed through me. But hearing him ask me in such an urgent tone to come live with him, knocked the wind out of me.

His eyes were burning with want, need, love and adoration. I knew he was sincere, I knew I felt the same way, but I was terrified that jumping in with both feet would get us both burned. Emma wiggled in my arms. She had asked me this morning if we could go live with daddy, so I knew she wanted it.

I opened my mouth to tell him it was too soon, but before my brain could form the words, my heart overtook me. "Yes. I'd love to. We'd love to."

Never before had I seen Edward look so happy as when those words left my mouth. He encircled me and Emma in his arms, kissing us both on our temples.

"Thank you, love."

"Edward, we do need some time before we move."

"I understand. You set the pace for this, love."

I smiled and kissed him lightly. "I guess I'd better get home, change out of this get-up that Alice forced me into and cancel my other interviews."

He grinned back at me and kissed me again. "Will I see you two before Friday?"

"Yes, if you want to. Em and I are going to explore the city in the next few days, so just call whenever you want to do something together."

"I will. I'll leave you to your work and I will call you later."

"Bye, Edward."

"Bye, Bella. I love you."

"Love you too."

~*~

The rest of the afternoon I spent cleaning the apartment and getting both me and Emma ready for dinner with Jasper. Edward had called to make sure we were both free on Wednesday afternoon so he could take me and Emma out sailing. Emma had jumped at the chance to see her father again, so I agreed to go, despite that I was afraid of boats. Edward was just going to have to make sure I wasn't going to topple over the side. When I told him that he had chuckled and reassured me that I would be safe.

A few minutes after six, Jasper came knocking at the door to pick us up. He offered me his arm, while he picked up Emma with the other. Normally I would've taken it without thinking about it, but now it just felt wrong. I bit my lip, hesitating long enough for Jasper to drop his arm with a dejected look on his face.

"Doesn't he trust you or something?" he asked snidely.

I frowned, confused by his question. "What are you talking about?"

"Why didn't you take my arm back there? Is it because Edward might hear and he'd come to the wrong conclusions or something?"

"Of course not! It just didn't feel right."

"Whatever you say, Bella."

I was furious now. This was not my best friend and cousin, this was a sour and angry man and I didn't like it one bit. I reached for Emma and carried her to the car myself. Jasper slid into the passenger seat still scowling, so we spent the entire ride to the steak house in a tense silence. Even Emma was quiet.

When we arrived I shot Jasper a look that said 'we need to talk'. He nodded minutely, but otherwise ignored me. To sat dinner was tense, would be an understatement. Jasper hardly spoke and when he did it'd be grunts or one or two word answers.

I was about to shove my plate aside and leave when I heard someone call my name. I turned in my seat and saw Mike heading in our direction.

"Hi Bella and miss Emma. How are you pretty ladies tonight?" Mike asked with a playful wink.

"Good!" Emma piped up.

"Hey, Mike. We're good. How are you?"

"Fine, fine. My date is a bit boring, but I guess we can't all date the beautiful miss Swan now can we?"

Again a playful wink. It was a far cry from the creepy come on in the parking lot yesterday and he was clearly just poking fun, so I was a bit startled when Jasper got out of his seat and towered over him.

"Who are you and what do you want with Bella?"

Mike's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the furious look on Jasper's face. He threw up his hands in surrender and took a step back.

"Listen, buddy. I was just saying hello to my new colleague. We met yesterday at West High and I was kindly informed that she was Edward Cullen's girl, so why are you going all jealous boyfriend on my ass?"

Emma giggled. She knew I didn't like it when people used that kind of language around her, but lately it seemed to become a regular occurrence.

"Bella is my cousin and my best friend. I protect her from creeps like you and she's not Edward's girl."

Again with this stupid protecting stuff. It was the last drop in a brimming bucket and I snapped. I shoved away from the table and took Emma out of her seat.

"Jasper Whitlock, you obnoxious git! How many times do I have to tell you I do not need you to fight my battles. Mike was just joking around and even if he was not, I can handle him myself. I did so yesterday and Edward didn't even need to help me. He might have added something afterwards but I got the message across loud and clear on my own. And yes, I am Edward's girl. Now I am taking my daughter home. I suggest you think about how much you want our friendship to remain in tact and if you figure it out you can come to me and explain why on earth you are behaving like a petulant child at the moment."

I didn't wait for him to respond. I simply tossed a few bills on the table, nodded my goodbye to Mike and stormed out of the restaurant, gawking patrons be damned.

~*~

The next morning I woke up early to my cell phone ringing. I groaned as I felt my way around the night stand for it. When I finally got a hold of it I flicked it open without checking the caller ID.

"Bella Swan," I grunted.

"Hey Bells! How are you?" my dad asked cheerily from the other end.

"Ugh...Tired? What time is it?"

"Uhm...o, shoot. Sorry, kiddo. It's only seven thirty."

I chuckled. This was so typical of Charlie. "So where's the emergency?"

"First off I wanted to congratulate you with your new job. I was pretty disappointed when I missed your call yesterday."

"Thanks, dad. So what was the other reason you called."

"I have a new job myself."

I shot up in bed, not knowing what to think of this. Charlie had been in the Phoenix police department for over twenty years. There had to be a good reason for him to leave.

"What job?"

"There was an opening for Chief of Police in Forks. It's a four hour drive from Seattle and they called yesterday to inform me that I had gotten the job."

"Wow, Dad! That's great! Congrats."

"Thanks, kiddo." There was a loaded pause then. "Bella, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Where do you and Edward stand?"

I sighed heavily. I was expecting this question sooner or later, thought I had hoped it'd be later. "Right now I'm not entirely sure. We both love each other and it's clear that he loves Emma so much already, but we haven't really given this a name. He did, however, asked if we wanted to move in with him."

I heard a non committal grunt. "What'd you say?"

"I said yes, but I also told him I needed more time."

"Are you sure, Bella? You've both been through so much since you got torn apart."

"I know dad, but we're both determined to figure this stuff out. We need to, for Emma."

"I know. Believe me, I know. I know that Edward would've stepped up if he had been there when you found out you were pregnant, so I'm not saying I don't think he's right for you. I know you well enough to know that I have never seen you look at anyone with as much affection as you do with him. And from what little I have seen of the two of you together, I could tell he feels the same way. I just want you to take things easy. If you rush this, you might risk it before it had a chance to really get good."

It was probably the longest I have ever heard Charlie talk about something emotional since I've moved in with him and Renee and it brought a lump to my throat.

"Thank you, dad. I...I don't know what to say. We are going to do this right, I promise you. I love you dad and you'd better let me know when you and mom are supposed to move up here."

"I will, Bells. Give my granddaughter a kiss for me and I will talk to you as soon as I have our flight info."

"Bye, dad."

"Bye, kiddo."

Just as I hung up the phone the door to the bedroom burst open and my very chipper daughter came barrelling in.

"Mommy, mommy! Are you ready to go sailing?"

I grabbed her waist and hoisted her up on the bed, wrapping her up in my arms.

"Daddy won't be here for another couple of hours, baby. You're going to have to be a little more patient than that."

She pouted for a while before announcing she was going to watch cartoons and scrambling off the bed. I smiled at the ceiling, thinking about how lucky I was for finding Edward after all these years.

A knock at the door brought me out of my daydream and I reluctantly got up, pulling on a robe while stumbling to the door. I peeked through the spyglass and grumbled.

Pulling the door open I immediately knew I was in for a long day. Standing before me was Jasper and from the look of him, he hadn't been to bed yet or had slept with his clothes on. Either way he reeked of alcohol.

"Emma, go and watch cartoons in the big bedroom okay. Mommy has to talk to someone."

"Kay!"

I listened to her retreating footsteps and then the sound of the door shutting and the TV being switched on. When I was satisfied that she was distracted I let Jasper walk passed me into the living room. I turned off the TV with the remote, but stayed on my feet. An inebriated Jasper normally was a stubborn one, so I needed to have some distance.

"Bells, I need to tell you some things."

"Go ahead."

"No," he said with a frown. "Not until you sit here with me."

"Jasper, talk or leave. I'm not moving."

"Fine, I'm not talking."

"Then get out of here. If you can't do this my way, you'd better just go."

He huffed and threw his head back onto the back of the sofa.

"Bella, you and I have know each other for six years. I have been your friend for just as long. I've seen you go through your pregnancy, been there for your darkest and brightest days. I've watched you while you grew into the amazing woman that you are, all this time keeping my distance. Giving you time to find yourself...."

He trailed off and stared blankly at a spot on the table.

"What are you talking about Jasper?"

He looked up at me with strangely flat eyes. "I hoped that one day you would see how I feel about you."

I shook my head, trying to understand what he was saying.

"I stood by on the sidelines and was your friend, all the while pushing away the love I felt for you, but you never even noticed. And now. Now you just have to see _him_ once and you fall right into his arms!"

My mind was reeling with what Jasper was saying. He couldn't love me. He just couldn't. I would've seen it.

"Bella, I have been in love with you from the moment I met you. Please say you love me back and that Edward is just a mistake. Please."

His flat eyes had suddenly come alive again and were burning with a whirlwind of emotions. It knocked the wind out of me. Not because I reciprocated those feelings, but because I realized in that moment that I had seen in underneath it all for a while now, but I had been too afraid to acknowledge it. Afraid it would destroy our friendship.

He watched me for a few minutes before getting up and taking the three steps to close the distance between us. His hands clamped around my upped arms like vices and his lips were pressed against mine before I could process what was happening.

He kept my arms pinned against my side as he pushed his tongue between my lips. Flashes of memories came flying back, the hurt, the fear, the disgust all came pouring into my body, freezing my movements. Tears silently escaped my eyes as Jasper forced his kisses on me. Leaving my mouth to trail down my jaw and neck. When the tears leaked down the column of my throat he finally snapped out of it.

He released me like I was on fire, his eyes instantly filled with tears. He pressed a fist to his mouth and yanked on his hair with the other.

"Oh my god! I am no better than those other bastards. Bella, I'm so sorry. Please, Bella I didn't mean to hurt you."

He was sobbing now, but I couldn't find it in me to care. He had been my friend for years. He had known that I had been assaulted before, although he had only learned the full extent of in on Saturday and yet he did this to me.

"Get out and never show your face here again," I choked out through gritted teeth.

He stumbled out of the room and I waited for the door to shut behind him, before I allowed myself to sink to the floor and start crying in earnest. I curled up into a ball and sobbed, blocking out my surroundings completely.

I vaguely registered Emma's pleas for me to talk to her and then her crying, talking to someone on the phone. She laid down in front of me and stroked my hair, asking me quietly what was wrong. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew this was not something my daughter should witness, but I wasn't capable of pulling myself out of this panic attack.

After a while Emma got up and ran towards the front door. I tried to tell her to stay with me, not to run out of the room, but I couldn't find my voice. I heard faint voices drifting towards me from the hallway and then it was silent.

As I rocked back and forth part of my brain was freaking out over where Emma was. The sobbing had slowed down and I was now trying to control my breahting.

"Bella, love?" I heard Edward's angelic voice ask from somewhere.

I couldn't speak, but I felt the electric hum of his presence, which relaxed me minutely. I took a deep steadying breath, opening my mouth to ask him the first thing on my mind.

He was in front of me, lying on his side facing me. Just like Emma had done, he was stroking my hair lovingly.

"Bella, love. What happened? Sweetheart, talk to me."

I shook my head. "Emma?" I croaked out.

"I took her to Kate's so I could help you. Don't worry, she's fine. A little shook up, but she'll be fine."

I nodded and took another deep breath. Edward continued caressing me gently until I had relaxed enough to sit up and allow him to carry me over to the bedroom. He laid me down, pulled off his own shoes and then crawled in behind me, holding my tightly against his chest.

"Baby, please talk to me. What happened?"

"Last night me and Emma went to dinner with Jasper."

"You told me that, yes."

"He was behaving rather odd when I wouldn't take his arm. The whole ride over there was tense and silent, it was really grating my nerves, especially since he came over earlier this week to warn me about you."

"What happened at dinner?"

"It was awkward, so when I had enough of his iffy attitude, I wanted to get out of there, but before I could get up, Mike Newton came over to say hello. He was acting like a corny goofball, but all in good fun, nothing like in the parking lot. Anyway, Jasper blew up at him. I told him to mind his own business and when he was ready to talk to me about things as an adult he should come to me."

"But that's not what caused this panic attack, was it?" Edward asked.

"No. He came over just now to talk. He was drunk, I think. He reeked of alcohol at least. So he came in and started spouting all this stuff about how he had been my friend for so long, but he had been waiting on the sidelines. He told me he loved me and he had been in love with me since we met. I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything."

I felt Edward stiffen behind me. "What did he do?"

I shuddered at the memory. "He grabbed my arms and kissed me, shoving his tongue down my throat. I just clamped up. All the memories of what happened to me years ago, came rushing back, holding me captive as he continued to kiss me. It was only when he felt my tears that he snapped out of it. He apologized, saying that he didn't mean to hurt me, but I told him to leave and never come back. And when he left I let it all wash over me."

"I've coped with most of it, but this situation hit too close to home, so I shut down in order to better cope with the overwhelming emotions inside me."

I felt Edward kiss the back of my head. "I'm here now. You try to sleep. I'll go get Emma and we will make you something to eat for when you wake up."

"Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" I asked in a small voice.

"Of course, love. I'd do anything for you."

I smiled a small smile and allowed my tired body to give into the comfort of sleep.

* * *

_A/N: Jasper fucked up, big time, but don't worry, they'll get through this eventually._


	17. Chapter 17

******Disclaimer : Stephenie Meyer owns the characters, I own the plot.**

* * *

**Chapter seventeen**

**Epov**

I couldn't believe Jasper. He claimed he loves her and then proceeds to force himself on her. I was struggling with two strong urges. The first was to keep Bella and Emma safe and close to me, the second was to track Jasper down and beat the crap out of him. And to think he had the nerve to warn her about me! Like anything I had ever done in my past was as bad as what he just did to the woman he claims to love.

I was still fuming when I stood at Kate's door to get Emma.

"Edward, what happened? Is Bella okay?"

"She is feeling better now. Did Emma say something? Has she seen what caused Bella's panic attack?"

"No, she mentioned hearing uncle Jasper talking, but waiting for Bella to call her into the room, but when the door closed and Bella didn't come to get her she went to the living room and Bella was lying on the floor crying. She feels guilty, I think. Do you want me to keep her here a little while longer?"

"No, thank you Kate. I'll take Emma with me now. Who better to tell her it's not her fault than her mom and dad?"

Kate smiled and reached up to hug me. "You are such a natural at this parenting thing, Edward. I honestly envy you for it. I just hope one day me and Garret will be like you and Bella."

I smiled genuinely, squeezing her once before letting go. "So, where is my little girl?"

Emma must've heard me because she came into the hallway behind Kate and looked up at me timidly. I squatted down, holding out my arms for her. She bit her lip, hesitating for a second before bursting into tears and launching herself into my arms.

"I'm so sorry, daddy," she sobbed into my shoulder.

"Shhh, baby. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I should've stayed with mommy."

"No you shouldn't have. Mommy and uncle Jasper had a little fight and that is not something you should have seen or heard and I'm glad that you didn't."

"But mommy was crying so hard. What did uncle Jasper do?"

"He was upset with mommy and they had a fight. Mommy was crying so hard because fighting with uncle Jasper makes her very sad. And he is leaving for Phoenix tonight, so she won't get a chance to talk to him again for a little while."

Emma still looked upset, but I could tell she was feeling a little better.

"So, what do you say you and me make mommy some muffins to cheer her up?"

"Yay! Let's go!"

I chuckled. If anything our daughter was a very happy child, albeit somewhat wise for her age. I picked her up in my arms and kissed her cheek.

"Say bye to Kate and then we can go."

"Bye Kate! We'll bring you a muffin if we have some left," she said with a grin.

"Thank you Emma, I would love to have one. See you around, sweetie."

~*~

Baking muffins wasn't really my strong suit, but with the clear instructions I got over the phone from my mother, I managed to get a decent tasting batch of chocolate muffins. I sent Emma into the bedroom with Bella, telling her I would be there in a minute. I pulled out my phone and called Alice.

"Hey, Edward."

"Hey, sis. Can you do something for me?"

"Depends on what it is, Edward."

"Can you track down Jasper Whitlock for me? I need to talk to him later tonight, but I fear he might be drinking his sorrows at the moment and I need him to be coherent for our talk."

"Where is he?"she asked reluctantly.

"Not sure, but I think he might be hanging in the bar of the hotel where he's staying. Could you go and try to keep him out of trouble?"

"Sure. He was staying at the Crown Hotel, right?"

"Yes. I think he was flying home tonight, but if he's in the state I think he is, they won't allow him to board the plane."

"Edward, what the hell happened that I need to keep an eye on that man?"

"I don't want to get into it right now. I will explain when I've talked to him and hopefully have calmed down."

"Okay, whatever you want big brother. I'll text you when I find him, okay?"

"Thanks, Alice. You're the best sister out there."

She trilled a light hearted laugh "Yeah, I know. Now get to your girls."

"Bye, Ali."

"Bye, big brother!"

I hadn't really decided what I was going to do when I talked to Jasper yet, but I needed to see him before he left. If only to make sure he understood just how badly he hurt her. Emma's peeling laughter broke me out of my thoughts and I hurried over to the bedroom, where both my girls were snuggled close together, giggling quietly.

I stood in the doorway watching them, feeling my heart clench at the sight. I loved them both so much more than I ever expected. Over the years I imagined finding Bella again one day, but I never imagined that we could still love each other as much as we did back then, let alone that I could love her even more.

"Hey there, handsome. Do you want to lie down with us?"

"Of course," I said with a smile.

I toed off my shoes and crawled onto the bed behind Emma. Bella smiled at me over the top of her head. I must've looked worried, because she tried to reassure me.

"I'm okay for now. I know Jasper didn't mean to hurt me, but he did so I'll stay away from him for a while. I will go and find a therapist in this area, because that panic attack is not something I want to relive. I know you and I need to talk about it, but for now I just want to forget about it for a few hours."

"Of course, love. I can ask Carlisle if he can refer you to someone."

She nodded, letting the conversation drop for the moment. We spent about two hours cuddling in bed with Emma, talking, joking. I noticed Bella's eyes going blank a couple of times, but she snapped herself out of it before I could get too worried.

I had received a text from Alice some time ago, telling me she was indeed at the Crown Hotel with Jasper. She mentioned he was a drunken mess and she was trying to sober him up a little.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"I have some things I need to take care of, but I wanted to ask you if you and Emma would mind if I stayed the night tonight. I can take the couch, but I don't want you to be alone tonight."

"I'd like that, but you can take the bed."

"We'll discuss sleeping arrangements when I get back. I'll bring dinner with me on the way back."

"Thank you, Edward. For everything."

"It's nothing. I would do anything for you, love."

She smiled and leaned over Emma to kiss me sweetly on the lips. I pulled her a little closer to prolong the kiss. She sighed happily and reached up to thread her fingers through my hair. A small moan escaped my lips, making Emma giggle. Bella pulled away immediately, her cheeks flaming red.

"Oh god. That is so embarrassing," she muttered as she buried her face in her hands.

"Don't worry, mommy. Uncle Em and aunty Rose do much sillier things."

I gaped at my daughter in shock. "Like what?" I choked out.

"If they kiss, they use their tongue and uncle Emmett says the silliest things."

"How many times have you seen this, young lady?" Bella asked, her own embarrassment forgotten.

Emma shrugged. "Two or three times. I don't remember it so good, because I was a little younger."

Bella shook her head, chuckling. "I need to let your brother and my cousin know that they should watch themselves if there are small kids in the room. Think of the trauma they could inflict on their own children in the future."

She laughed a full belly laugh and it was the most delightful sound in the world. When she settled down she gave me a quick peck.

"You better go now, the sooner you will be back."

"Right you are. I will see the two of you in a few hours. Any preferences for dinner?"

"Anything is fine, and thanks for the muffins. It was really sweet of you to make some."

"Oh, if you have some left take Emma to bring some to Kate. Em promised her she could have one."

"Will do."

I kissed both my girls goodbye and hurried out the door, eager to get back to them after dealing with Jasper.

~*~

When I arrived at the hotel I texted Alice, who let me know they were still in the bar. I made a beeline towards them as soon as I spotted them.

"Jasper, I think we need to talk."

He whirled around on his stool, glaring daggers at me. "I have nothing to say to you," he slurred.

My eyes snapped to Alice, who mouthed 'I tried'. I smiled and nodded. She gave me a rueful smile and left us to talk. I waited until she was out of earshot before I turned my attention back to Jasper. He had turned back to the bar, nursing a cup of strong smelling coffee.

"Jasper we really need to talk about why my daughter called me because Bella wouldn't stop crying. We need to address the fact that I went over there to find her curled up in a ball on the floor, completely lost in a panic attack."

His eyes snapped to mine. "She was fine when I left."

"You know her, don't you?"

"Yes, of course. I know her better than you, you prick."

"If you knew her as well as you claim you do, you would know she would never show you her pain. She usually suffers in silence."

Jasper's face contorted in pain and I knew I had struck a nerve.

"I never meant for that to happen. I just wanted her to know how I felt. I have waited for her for years and then you suddenly pop up in her life, some playboy with a bad reputation, and she's all over you. I just wanted her to know."

I barked a humourless laugh. "Me, a player with a bad reputation? How the hell did you get to that conclusion? I've been with less than ten women in six years, in my book that is not a player status."

He looked up at me in shock. "That's it? Emmett always bragged about you having another girl every week."

"A lot of girls claimed they have dated me, when I hadn't even so much as spoken to them for more than five minutes. Emmett just liked to embellish, probably hoping he could set me up with the girl of my dreams to bring me out of my lingering depression, so don't believe everything you hear. Besides, you can't tell me you haven't slept with anyone for as long as you have been in love with Bella, so why am I the bad guy here?"

He dropped his head in his hands, groaning. I waited for him to talk, but nothing came out and it pissed me off even more.

"Jasper, are you ever going to address what happened with Bella? I am trying really hard to stay calm here."

"I kissed her against her will. I was drunk and overemotional and I wanted to show her how much I loved her. I didn't want to acknowledge that she wasn't moving or that she was crying until I tasted her tears on my lips. How could I have been so stupid?"

That right there was exactly what I had been thinking of. "Yes, Jasper. How could you have been so stupid?"

"I don't know!"

"If you loved her as much as you say you do, you would have tried to be happy she found me. You would understand that the love between us never died, no matter what happened in between. And you certainly wouldn't have forced yourself on her when you know full well what she has been through when she was younger!"

He started sobbing into his hands. I wanted desperately to kick his ass, but I knew Bella would never forgive me if I did. So I settled for a warning.

"I won't stop her from contacting you, but I suggest you wait for her to make first contact. She needs time to deal with it, so do you. Give her that time, then maybe she will forgive you enough to be your friend again."

He nodded, his eyes still cast down. I sucked in a deep breath and left. Alice was waiting for me at my car.

"I'll ride with you so you can tell me what happened," she stated firmly.

"Get in. I need to pack up a bag so I can stay with the girls for a few nights."

We drove a few minutes in silence before Alice demanded I explain things.

"Jasper apparently has been in love with Bella for some time. They got into a bit of a fight last night and he spent the night drinking. He showed up at Bella's doorstep this morning and told her he loved her. The thing that makes this all so bad is that he kissed her when she didn't want him to. After he left, she slipped into a panic attack. I guess it triggered her bad memories and she was completely shut off from the world around her."

"Emma was in her bedroom when it happened and found Bella crying on the floor. When she didn't talk, Emma called me. She was so afraid for Bella, it really broke my heart. When I got there, Bella was no better. I finally managed to pull her out of it, but this is by far not the end of it."

Alice stared out of the window and didn't respond.

"Alice? What are you thinking?"

"I hope Bella will be okay."

"That's not all, I can tell."

"I…I slept with him."

I almost jerked the car off the road when I whipped my head around to look at her.

"Watch the road, Edward. It happened the night after the wedding. Jasper and I went to this bar and got drunk together. When he asked me to come with him to his hotel, I didn't think. We had sex and I left before he woke up the next morning. When we were at the zoo it was pretty clear that he didn't even remember."

I saw the tears glistening in her eyes. Alice didn't do casual sex, so she must've felt something for him.

"Ali, I'm so sorry. I wish you'd told me sooner."

"It's fine, Edward. I knew the risk I was taking when I agreed to go with him. I thought it was pretty mind blowing, but apparently he didn't."

"That's it. You are coming with me to stay with Bella and Emma tonight. Emma will be able to cheer you up."

Alice smiled and nodded, so I drove to her house first so she could pack some things. While I waited for her to grab her bag, I texted Bella to let her know I would be bringing Alice along.

_That's fine__, sweetheart. We'll get some movies, you bring home pizza. Cheese and pineapple for the little monster ;-) and anything but anchovies or artichokes for me. _

_Love, B+E_

I chuckled lightly and pocketed my phone again. Alice came bounding out of the door next, sending me a bright smile.

"I see you are feeling better," I commented.

"Yes, because I get to see my niece and my future sister-in-law. What happened with Jasper was stupid, but I can move past it. It's not like we were even dating. I would appreciate it if you would keep this tidbit to yourself, brother dear. No need to inform Bella."

"I wouldn't dream of it. If you want to tell her eventually, that'll be up to you. You know me better than that."

She smiled happily and slid into the passenger seat. I followed her lead, got back into the car and took off towards my own house. When I was walking through the house to get my things I couldn't help but imagine how wonderful it would be to have Bella and Emma living here.

I briefly thought about how crazy my life had gotten since Friday. Just last week, I was fighting off a glum mood by flirting with that skanky Lauren Mallory, and now I was a dad and had asked the mother of my child and our daughter to move in with me. The thing is, it didn't even scare me. It just felt right.

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A/N: Edward actually managed to behave himself and not go all caveman on Jasper's ass. Thank you all for your amazing reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Next chapter should be up in a few days.


	18. Chapter 18

**  
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all rights to the characters. I merely thought up the plot.

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**

Chapter eighteen

**Bpov**

When Edward left, I already had an idea as to where he was going, or rather who he was looking for. I knew he would demand an explanation from Jasper, but I seriously hoped he would be honest about it with me.

About twenty minutes after I had gotten the text that he was bringing Alice, there was a knock at the door. Emma knew who we were expecting so she launched herself towards the door, taking a tumble in the process. I was just in time to keep her from crashing face first into the hardwood floor.

She squealed when I threw her over my shoulder and opened the door. I was met by a grinning Edward and bouncing Alice.

"Hi, Bella. Hi Emma," she chimed, while tickling Emma's feet which were dangling in front of her face,

"H-h-hi aunty Alice!" Emma half shouted through her fits of giggle.

Alice beamed and reached up to grab Emma off my shoulder and hug her. Emma snuggled into her shoulder as she sucked her thumb in her mouth. Edward gave her a kiss on her cheek before pecking my lips.

Just after we got settled down with a cup of tea and some cookies, Edward asked me if I could join him in the bedroom for a few minutes. I silently rose and followed him. As soon as the door closed behind me, he pulled me into his arms, holding me close to his chest.

"Bella, I went to talk to Jasper. I know you hate it when people try to protect you, or take care of you and I hope you won't be angry with me for it. I just needed to hear his side of the story and warn him to give you the space you need right now. I told him he should wait for you to contact him and to be frank I threatened him if he ever were to pull a stunt like that again."

I sighed and nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck. I gently kissed his pulse point.

"It's okay, Edward. At least you are honest about it and didn't act on the urge to punch him, which I'm sure you actually wanted. I love you and only you. That makes you the only man who can get away with defending my honour like you did."

He kissed the top of my head, tightening his hold on me. "I love you, baby and I cannot wait until Friday. I want you all to myself for a few hours."

I lightly slapped his chest, giggling like a school girl. He put a hand on his heart, feigning hurt.

"Do you mean to tell me you don't want some alone time with me?"

"Stop it, Edward. Of course I want a night alone with you. I would like to be able to talk to you without our daughter busting into the room at any moment."

He smile wickedly before he leaned in to press a searing hot kiss on my lips. I moaned and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging myself close to his body. He grunted against my lips as his arms found their way around my back and his tongue traced my bottom lip, seeking entrance.

I opened my mouth and my tongue snaked out to meet his. They tangled together, the kiss turning wet and hot, frenzied. He tasted so good, that I couldn't hold back the moans and whimpers from escaping my throat. Once again we were interrupted. This time it was Alice calling us.

"Every damn time," Edward muttered against my lips.

"Can your parents keep Emma overnight on Friday?"

"Are you saying you want us to spend the night together?"

"Edward, do you really need to ask? I have been waiting to find you for six years. Now that I found you again, I can't wait to have you all to myself."

"Get out of here, Bella or I might do something we don't want to get caught doing."

I glanced down and noticed his obvious arousal. I bit my lip to stop a moan from escaping my lips. I longed for him so much, that I was afraid I might jump him if I didn't leave soon. I closed my eyes, drew in a deep breath and stalked out of the bedroom to find out why Alice had called us.

"Hey, Alice. What did you need?"

"Emma was getting a little curious as to what you were doing, so I figured I'd better call you guys before she thunders in there and catches you in a compromising position," she said while wiggling her eyebrows.

I started laughing as I plopped on the sofa beside her. "You do not want to know how much I wish it was Friday night already."

"What's going to happen on Friday?" Alice asked, genuinely surprised.

"I figured Edward would have told you. We are going on an official date. Emma will be spending the evening with your parents, but I think it'll turn into the whole night with the way things have been building between us these past few days."

Alice giggled and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Is he a good kisser?"

"I know he's been your brother for six years, so please stop me when it gets a little TMI, but my god. He is the best."

I heard Edward chuckle quietly behind me, making me blush immediately. Thankfully my over inquisitive daughter didn't catch this conversation. No need to have her asking questions about this kind of stuff.

"Edward, why didn't you tell me you were taking Bella on a date?" Alice demanded, using the pout she had used on me a couple of days ago.

"I've been rather busy, sis. Besides, it's not like you picked up the phone to ask me what was going on."

They exchanged a meaningful look that I chose to ignore. If either of them wanted to tell me what that was about, they probably would.

We ate our pizza, while talking comfortably about our time in high school and college, swapping stories of horrid room mates, creepy teachers and bitchy cheerleaders.

"So, Bella how did you win over Rosalie? When I first met her she was so cold and distant it was very disheartening. I thought she would never warm up to me, but thankfully I stuck with it and now she only hates Edward."

I swear Alice didn't take a breath while spouting that. "Seriously? Rose hates you? Why?"

Edward shrugged. "I have no idea. We just never hit it off. Maybe because she walked in on me and a girl I was very briefly dating when they first came to our parent's house. It was a bit awkward."

I laughed so hard I almost snorted. "God, I remember her ranting about that. She called me up, completely infuriated that Emmett had told her to go find you."

"What did she say?" Alice asked, already laughing hard.

I smiled when I thought back at it.

_December 23rd 2004 _

_Jasper and I were lounging on the sofa at his place, watching a Miracle on 43__th__ street. My parents had taken Emma for the afternoon so I could have some time to spend as a teenager, as Charlie had called it._

_My phone chirped and when I saw it was Rosalie, I squealed and hurried out of the room. Rosalie was visiting with Emmett's parents for the first time and she was calling to tell me about them._

"_Rosie! How are you?"_

"_Ugh! Bella I cannot believe Emmett!"_

_That was not the response I was expecting. "What the hell did he do?"_

"_Well, I was here to meet his parents first and foremost. Those people are saints, honest to god. They just accepted me, no questions asked."_

"_Okay, that doesn't sound so bad."_

"_No it doesn't. He also has a little sister. Her name's Alice and she's sweet and all but she's so fucking perky it cracks the enamel right off my teeth."_

"_Rose, do you have to use that kind of language?"_

"_Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch, Bells."_

"_Okay, so he's got a perky sister, but what did Emmett do to piss you off?"_

"_Get this. He has a younger brother too. The kid wasn't downstairs when we arrived and dinner was almost ready. So Emmett asks me of I can go get his brother and his girlfriend while he helps his mom set the table."_

"_Okay..."_

"_So I go up,follow Emmett's instruction and go up to this kids room. The music is blaring so loud that there is no way he can hear me, but I call out to him anyway. Like I, expected no answer."_

_I began to dread what she was going to tell me next. I bit down on my lip so I could hear her out without bursting into laughter._

"_So I walk in there and that kid is fucking his girlfriend on top of his fucking desk! That was the first impression I got from the kid and he from me. I was so shocked I just stood there gaping for a few seconds, until I finally snapper out of it and ran back downstairs."_

_I snickered. "Did he at least look good doing it?" I blurted out without thinking._

"_Bella! What the hell did you ask that for? I was mortified. Then when I tell Emmett, all that goofball does is laugh at me and make crude jokes about it when the two love birds come downstairs. I am never speechless, but I couldn't get a fucking word out of my mouth for the rest of dinner!"_

_I burst into laughter then, because she kept saying fuck, which in turn made me think of her walking in on Emmett's younger brother and his girlfriend. Needless to say, Rosalie got pissed off at me._

"_You suck at being a best friend do you know that?"_

"_Sorry, Rose. Really I am. But don't keep saying fuck after what you just told me, it just conjures up the whole mental picture of you walking in on a couple having sex."_

_I heard Rosalie sigh and then laugh lightly. "I suppose you're right. Thanks for listening, Bells. I really miss you, you know."_

"_I miss you too, Rose but you and Em will be back before you know it. You want to talk to your brother?"_

"_Nah. I'll talk to him at Christmas. You know, if Emmett's brother wasn't already taken, I'd think he would be perfect for you. He's exactly the kind of handsome guy you would go for."_

"_Sure, sure."_

"_Hey, don't do that Jacob inspired sure, sure crap with me. I was just saying."_

"_Sorry again, Rose. Listen the movie I was watching with Jasper is bound to be finished by now so I'm guessing it's about time to eat. Talk to you later?"_

"_Yeah, definitely. I'll call you at Christmas."_

"_Bye, Rose."_

"_Bye, Bells."_

July 25th 2007

Alice and Edward were gaping at me after I finished rehashing the story of the fated phone call.

"Did she seriously walk in on us and then tell you about that?"

"Yes, she did. Rose tells me everything. You wouldn't believe the amount of TMI I got from her regarding the size and shape of Emmett's you know what."

"EEEWWW! Argh, Bella! Why did you have to say that?" Alice shuddered visibly, making me crack up in laughter.

Remembering that phone call and now coupling it with Edward, made me feel a little queasy. I didn't expect the jealousy to be this strong, but I couldn't help it weighing down on me. I tried to shrug it off as I stood to take Emma to bed. I purposefully avoided looking at Edward.

I bathed her and put on her pyjama's. When I picked her up to put her in bed she put both her hands on the side of my face.

"Are you okay, momma?"

"Yes, I am sweetie. I was just thinking, don't mind me."

"Kay. I love you, mommy."

"I love you too, baby. Now let's get you to bed, shall we?"

She yawned, nodding her head into my shoulder. Once I got her tucked in, I sat on the edge of her bed, just looking down at her sleeping form for a little while. I could hear the murmurs coming form the living room. I knew I'd have to go back in there and I also knew that Edward had been with women before me, but the power of the emotion had overwhelmed me and after the day I'd had I was feeling unstable.

I eventually pulled myself together and walked back into the living room. Edward wrapped me up in his arms and pulled me onto his lap. He pressed his lips to my temple, keeping me close to his body.

"Bella," he whispered. "That girl didn't mean anything to me. She was out of my life two weeks later. I know you won't like hearing about it and I hope you know that none of the things I did in the past were never important to me."

"I know Edward, I was just surprised by the intense jealousy I felt. I guess after the day I've had everything just hits a little harder than normal. Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive love. We do have some more hilarious stories about Emmett, though."

"Yeah," Alice interjected from beside us. "Em's done some pretty stupid stuff before Rosalie came along."

I chuckled, remembering when Emmett had first come to Phoenix to attend college. He wanted to try a different college to get away from an ex-girlfriend and he had made a great first impression on Rosalie.

"What are you laughing about, love?" Edward asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Did you guys ever hear the real story of how Emmett and Rosalie first met?"

"Emmett always skirted around it and we never asked Rosalie. Why, do you have the dirt?" Alice asked, bouncing slightly in her seat.

"Even better, I was there."

"Oooohhh! Do tell."

_September 18__th__ 2004_

_I had just started my freshman year in college, together with Jasper and Jacob when Rosalie, who was a year older than us and in her sophomore year, demanded I go to a party with her. She had forced me into a tight blue dress, that had far more cleavage than I ever wanted and stopped to high up my thigh for comfort. I told her I wasn't going to wear it, but Rose being Rose wouldn't take no for an answer._

_So I ended up at some dorm, still wearing that wretched dress, with Rosalie by my side. She took my hand when I hesitated at the entrance of the building. We could hear the blearing music outside and there were already a few drunken guys sprawled out on the lawn, making catcalls as we walked by. Thinking it was meant for Rosalie, I shrugged it off._

_We got inside just as there was a loud whooping sound coming from the room where we were headed. The whole room started chanting and howling._

"_Emmett! Emmett! Emmett!"_

_Rosalie and I shot each other an amused smirk and headed inside. We were handed plastic cups with a pink concoction at the door. Rosalie sniffed it and with a slight smirk, she downed it in one gulp._

"_Go on, Bells. Live a little! You're in college now."_

"_Rose, I have a little girl that will wake up at the crack of dawn tomorrow and no matter how much you beg I will not drink any alcohol. Not tonight, not ever."_

_Rosalie smiled a bit sheepish. "Sorry. Sometimes I forget you're a parent already."_

"_How do you even manage that?"_

"_I don't know. You're so much fun to hang out with, even with Emma around. I just forget."_

"_I'm just going to take it as a compliment to my utter coolness and not as an insult to your attentiveness," I retorted._

_She chuckled. "Uh huh. Now let's go see what all the commotion is about."_

_We strolled into the living room and were met with the most hilarious sight ever. A big bulky guy, was standing on a table, dancing to the ultimate stripper song; 'You can leave your hat on'. He had already removed his shirt and was now slowly removing his belt._

_He spun around to face us and Rosalie, who had snatched the cup I had been holding, choked on the sip she was taking. At the exact same time the guy's eyes locked onto Rosalie and he slipped, falling backwards, all flailing arms and surprised shrieks._

_I burst out laughing when Rosalie screeched and launched herself through the crowd to reach him. She was frantically fluttering her hands over him, trying to asses the damage. Having plenty of experience with my own clumsiness and now a two year old, I easily slipped through the closely packed bodies._

"_Shit, wake up!" I heard Rosalie mutter._

_I knelt beside her. "Rose, move over."_

_She bit her lip and moved over, her eyes still trained on the guy that was passed out on the floor. I reached forward, feeling for his pulse. It was a little fast, but strong enough not to really worry. I could hear him breathing, so I didn't worry about it being bad enough._

_I leaned over him and patted his cheek, trying to wake him up. Before I knew what was happening, the guys arms wrapped around my neck and he reached up to softly kiss my lips. I was startled and pushed against his chest to get away from him. His eyes flew open as I sat up and his eyes widened in sheer panic._

"_Shit! Holy mother of god. I didn't mean to kiss you! Shit! Shit! I thought that hot blond was you. Shit!"_

_I chuckled as I realized he was talking about Rosalie._

"_Well, maybe if you had opened your eyes before you kissed me, you might have known that the hot blond you are referring to is my cousin who is sitting right here," I said as I pointed to a stunned Rosalie._

_A/N: Next chapter we will see what happens during the sleepover ;)._

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	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own Twilight. That right belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I did however invent this plot, so please respect it.**

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Chapter nineteen

**Epov**

**June 25****th**** 2007**

Two emotions battled inside of me as I heard Bella tell the story. Amusement, first and foremost, but also a hint of jealousy. My brother had kissed my girl. Rationally I knew he didn't mean to kiss her, but a purely emotional and hormonal part of me was going crazy over knowing he had touched her lips.

Bella must've seen something in my face, because she reached cupped my face in her hands and gave me soft lingering kiss. Alice meanwhile was in hysterics.

"No wonder Emmett never told us that. That must be so embarrassing for our big shot brother," she chortled.

I shook my head, laughing quietly. It did sound like something he wouldn't want mentioned.

"You know, love. When they get back from their honeymoon, you are going to be in trouble for telling us this."

Bella giggled, waving a hand. "No doubt he has told far more embarrassing stories about me. If Emmett likes to do one thing, it's using my clumsiness in his jokes and stories. This is not even close to making us even."

"We can add some great ones of our own for you to torment him with."

Alice nodded eagerly. "Totally! Wait, before we start in on this stuff, I need a glass of wine. You guys want some?"

"Sure," Bella and I both answered at the same time.

With a smile Alice flitted into the kitchen, emerging a few minutes later with a bottle of white wine and three glasses. While she was pouring the wine, my phone chirped. Bella slid off my lap to allow me to dig it out of my pocket. Alice handed her a glass of wine, took one for herself and sat down in front of Bella, leaning back against her legs.

"Speak of the devil," I muttered as Emmett's name flashed across my display.

I flipped the phone open. "Hey, big brother. Don't tell me the honeymoon is already so boring that you need me to give you some pointers," I said with a wink in Bella's direction.

She and Alice stifled their snickers, by pressing their hands over their mouths.

"No! Shit, dude, that's not why I called. Rose is going crazy over here. She has talked to Jasper a few minutes ago to ask if he arrived in Phoenix okay, but he was shit faced and talking all kinds of stupid stuff about Bella and hurting her. She tried calling Bells and Alice, but neither pick up, so I decided I would call you."

"Hand the phone to Rose."

Alice and Bella both sat up straighter, knowing this would be a serious conversation.

"Hey, Edward. Have you talked to Bella by any chance?"

"Yes, I have. I am at your apartment with Alice and Bella. You talked to Jasper?"

"Yes, but what in god's name are you and Alice doing at Bella's?"

"We were hanging out with her and Emma. What did Jasper say?"

"Shit, it was gibberish. He was drunk beyond belief. He was slurring Bella's name several times and then he started saying stuff about not wanting to hurt her and being a stupid ass hole. I didn't understand anything he was talking about."

"Okay, maybe you should talk to Bella about this."

"No! I need some answers from you first."

"What do you want to know?"

"What are your intentions, Edward? I know you, you don't hang out with women. Want do you want from her?"

"This is not something we should discuss over the phone."

"Damn it, Edward! You hurt her and I swear to god..."

"Rosalie! I'll let you talk to Bella now."

I handed Bella the phone, warning her with my eyes that Rosalie was not amused by my refusal to talk to her. She smirked as she put the phone on speaker.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"What the hell is Edward doing there?"

"Like he said, we were just hanging out."

"Like hell you were. Look out for him, Bella! He's a ladies man and he's not one for long lasting relationships."

"I highly doubt that, Rosalie."

"Do not believe any of the sweet talk, Bella."

"Rosalie Lillian Cullen Hale, are you calling me an easy target?"

"N-no! That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean? That your brother-in-law isn't trustworthy?"

"Kind of."

"Why do you think he's not trustworthy, Rosalie?"

"Because he never stays with a girl for more than a few weeks."

"Ugh, Rose. Emmett was just like that before he met you and Jasper was not much better, until he kept Maria on the side as a friend with benefits," Bella sneered. "So according to your theory neither your husband or your brother are trustworthy. Besides, how long have you known Edward exactly and how much of that time have you spent in his company and actually attempted to get to know him?"

My mouth was hanging open at Bella's harsh words. I glanced at Alice who was equal parts shocked and proud. I chuckled lightly as the other end stayed quiet.

"I'm sorry, Bella. You're right. I guess I never really gave him a chance."

"Exactly what I thought. So since he's listening in, maybe you should apologize."

Again a heavy silence on the other end.

"Fine. Edward, I'm sorry for never giving you a chance. I don't know what you did to get into her good graces, but you'd better keep it up. As for Jasper, will someone please tell me what happened?"

Bella took a deep breath and, while staring intently at me, told her what happened, leaving out the reason for Jasper's sudden need to reveal his love for Bella.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I'll be sure to kick his ass as soon as we get back."

"No need, Rosalie. Don't mention it to him or any one else. This is something Jasper and I need to work out, but I need time. I need to deal with what happened and the panic it triggered. I can't do that when everyone else is butting in."

"But, Bells..."

"No. Rose, just don't. I will talk to Jasper when I've figured things out. Until then leave it alone."

The authoritative tone in Bella's voice was enough to make a Rosalie comply, albeit reluctantly.

"Rose, go enjoy your honeymoon, do not worry about me and Emma. I've got Edward and Alice and their parents. I'll be fine."

"Okay, Bells. We love you, you know that, right?"

"Of course I know. Oh, I've got some news."

"What?"

"I've got a job here in Seattle, so we are going to be staying."

A high-pitched squeal from Rosalie had us all laughing loudly. The girls eventually finished up their conversation, leaving the three of us in a bit of a daze.

Alice was the first to break out of her thoughts. "Bella, how in the hell do you get Rosalie to behave?"

"I don't really know. When I first met her she was very cold and distant, like she is with all other people, but as soon as she found out I was pregnant and planning on keeping the baby she instantly warmed up to me. She told me a little while later that she had assumed I would give up the baby because I was so young. When I told her what I've seen in the homes I've been in and vowed I would never ever do that to a child of mine, she took it upon herself to become my protector of sorts. We've had a very strong bond ever since. She protects me like a lion protects her cub, while I keep her bitchy side in check."

Alice grinned up at her. "Listen it's already past midnight and I have work in the morning, so I'm off to bed. Bella, I will come by tomorrow night to bring you some outfits for your date on Friday and I don't want any complaints. Goodnight, guys and try to keep it quiet."

Alice kissed us both on the cheek and quietly slipped into the guest room where Emma was also sleeping. I turned back to Bella, who had a distant look on her face.

"What's the matter, love?"

"Just thinking. We could have met so much sooner, Edward. Look at how many links we have. If I would have taken your mother up on her offer to have me over for that first Christmas Rosalie spent with you or if you would have visited Emmett when I wasn't out of town. It's so crazy to think how many close calls we've had to getting back in each other's lives but never quite succeeding and then how it suddenly all came together."

I tugged on a strand of her hair. "Maybe it was meant to happen like this. Maybe our time apart has made us realize that our love is the real thing and that there is nothing that it can't conquer."

She breathed out heavily as she got up and stood before me. She pushed against my shoulders until I was leaning back against the sofa and sat down on my lap, straddling me. The feeling of her warm body on my legs sent a jolt of desire straight to my crotch.

I cupped her face in my hands, pulling her mouth to mine. I wanted her so badly that it hurt. I needed her to know how much I loved and adored her and that I would never leave her again. So I kissed her more urgently, opening my mouth to her begging tongue, groaning as she ground her hips into my hardened length.

She pressed herself close to me, her arms clasped tightly around my neck. Another swivel of her hips made me throw my head back and moan in pleasure, but when I looked back up at her I saw the desperation and naked need for me reflected in her eyes. It literally took my breath away.

"Edward, please take me to the bedroom."

I captures her lips with an urgency that melted away all of my restraint. My body felt like it was on fire, searing wherever hers was pressed against mine. I groaned when she pressed her hot core against my rock hard erection. In one swift movement I was standing, with Bella in my arms, her legs wrapped tightly around my waist.

"Ungh, Bella. I'm going to worship every inch of that delicious body of yours."

She whimpered before attacking my neck with small kisses and licks.

"Edward, if you don't move your ass over to that bedroom right now, I will rip off your clothes here and I won't be able to stop, no matter who walks into this living room."

I was at a loss for words as my feet moved us to the bedroom. She kicked the door close behind us before I took three long strides to the bed. I tossed her onto the bed, making her bounce a little, which elicited the sweetest giggle from her lips. I looked at her for a minute before I moved to hover over her.

Her eyes were half lidded wit desire as she arched up from the bed to press her lips against mine. Her hot tongue slipped into my mouth, easily finding mine in a sensual dance. I trailed my hand up and down her side. The whimper that escaped her lips when my hand brushed the side of her breast, added to the fire running through my veins. I nipped the skin at her collarbone, earning another moan.

Slowly I dragged her shirt up and pulled it all the way off. I stared down at her lace covered breasts and whimpered at the sight.

"I have dreamed about you like this so many times, Bella. But my dreams never did you justice. You are breathtaking." I murmured as I pressed my lips to the tops of her breasts.

"Edward, please. I need you. Please," she begged.

"Patience love. I want to savour this for as long as I can."

I licked a slow trail from the valley between her breasts up to her chin. She shuddered underneath me, which made me feel delirious with desire. I felt my control slipping as I dipped my head down to capture her lips with mine. When my tongue invaded her hot mouth I groaned and gave up on trying to be patient.

My restraint snapped and our kisses grew heated, impatient. I ground my hips into hers with a desperate need. Bella's frantic hands pulled my shirt off and fumbled with the buttons of my jeans, while my hands unclasped her bra and shoved it down her arms.

Bella shoved my jeans over my hips, squirming under me when she couldn't reach far enough to get them all the way off. I helped her by getting up and pulling them off all the way. Bella giggled when my left foot got stuck in the fabric, but she quickly leaned down to help me out.

When I climbed back into bed with her, I quickly worked her out of her slacks, leaving us both in just our underwear. She grabbed hold of my hips and pulled me between her legs, lifting her hips to meet mine.

"God, Bella. I won't be able to take this slow if you keep this up."

"Edward, did it occur to you that I might want you so much that I just need to feel you inside of me? Baby, it's been six years. I need you."

I groaned as my hand slipped between us to slip in her panties. I let my fingers slide down the length of her wet sex, teasing her with the lightest of touches, while I took on of her nipples in my mouth and sucked it lightly.

She arched up into me with a loud moan. The sound reminded me that we had our daughter down the hall.

"Love, you need to be quiet," I murmured against her rose coloured flesh.

I felt rather than saw her nod, so I continued my ministrations. Bella finally had enough of my teasing and pushed me away forcefully.

"Lie down on you back," she hissed.

I did as she asked, watching her as she got up off the bed to slide her panties down her leg. She leaned forward and yanked my boxer-briefs off.

"Now, like I said," she said seductively as she straddled my hips and pressed her wet slit down on my hard length. "It's been six years and baby, I can't take it any longer."

I whimpered when she rubbed herself against me. She smirked before leaning over to lick my nipple. When I felt her nails lightly scratch down my abdomen I bucked my hips involuntarily. She rose up on her knees and grabbed my shaft. She positioned herself over me and without warning impaled herself on me.

I bucked up, uttering expletives at the sudden sensation of her smooth heat that enveloped me. She placed her hot hands on my pecks and started to move over me. I grabbed her hips and guided her movements in order to get some semblance of control back. If I would've let her continue riding me like she was I wouldn't have lasted long enough to please her.

Bella threw her head back, her eyes closed, her lips parted and I knew right then and there this woman was going to be the last woman I would ever share a bed with. The overwhelming love I felt for her consumed me. I needed to kiss her, hold her closer, really make love to her, not just have sex.

I sat up and pulled her flush against me, covering her face with butterfly kisses. I cupped her cheeks in my hands, while I drank in her face like I would never again get the chance.

"I love you," I told her with conviction.

"I love you too. So much it hurts."

"I know, baby. I know."

I turned us around, never breaking our contact and slowly started moving in and our of her again. Her body met my every thrust, creating the best friction I could ever imagine. I kissed her languidly as our bodies moved with each other to reach out climax.

I felt the tightening in my abdomen and reached between us to rub her sensitive bundle. I leaned down and placed my lips right at her ear.

"Bella, come with me," I whispered.

I felt her tighten around me and then with a loud chanting of my name her walls clenched and quivered around me, taking me over the brink with her. I cried out her name in my release, letting all the love I felt for her wash over me.

As I came down from my high, I collapsed next to her and gathered her in my arms. Bella snuggled into my side and laid her head down on my chest with a contented sigh.

"I could get used to this," she whispered.

"Me too, love. I love you."

"I love you too."

I hugged her tighter and allowed my eyes to close. The edges of sleep were rolling in when I suddenly realized something and shot up.

"What is it?" Bella asked, already sounding groggy.

"We didn't use any protection."

Bella gasped. Her eyes were wide in shock, tears already brimming.

"How could we be so stupid for a second time?" she whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I should've been more careful."

"Don't you dare take all the blame for this, Edward. We both got lost in the moment. I'll get a morning after pill first thing tomorrow and I will buy us some condoms for the next time," she said with a smirk.

"You've definitely gotten a little more confidence over the years," I murmured as I pressed my lips to her temple.

"No, I haven't. I've just learned to cover up my insecurities better."

I pressed my lips to the top of her head. "I think we should put something on. I don't want Emma to find us in here tomorrow like this."

Bella giggled and slapped my chest. Shaking her head, she got up out of bed, took a pair of panties out of her bag and slipped them on. She then sauntered over to my bag, fished out my sleeping pants and a shirt. She threw me the pants and then proceeded to pull my shirt on herself.

The sight was mesmerizing and I found myself reaching out for her, so I could hold that glorious body close to mine. When she was back in my arms, I relaxed and let my dreams overtake me.

~*~

I woke up to something warm and wet sliding up and down my member. Startled I pulled the blankets back and was met by a set of mischievous brown eyes. I threw a quick glance at the clock, noting it was only four a.m., before returning my attention back to Bella.

I groaned when she cupped my balls and gently massaged them. I fought to keep my eyes open, because the visual just made this all the more sensual. I felt my orgasm coming closer and I went to pull her off me, but she swatted my hand away.

She sucked and licked and moaned feverishly. I allowed my hands to tangle in her hair and my hips to thrust up into her mouth a little. She winked at me, before increasing her suction and squeezing my balls a little tighter. It was all I needed to send me over the edge and I spilled my release down her throat.

After she licked me clean, Bella scooted up my body and kissed my chest. She folded her arms over my chest and rested her chin on top.

"To what do I owe this wonderful wake up call in the middle of the night?"

"You were dreaming rather vividly and kept rubbing your hard on against my belly, so that's why I thought of pleasuring you."

"But why didn't you want to stop so I could make you feel good, too?"

"I went to the bathroom just before I woke you and I noticed I have just started my period. Which is both good and bad."

"I guess it is," I murmured, kissing the tip of her nose.

"We'd better get some sleep."

I nodded and manoeuvred us so I was spooning her and carefully draped my arms around her.

"Sweet dreams, my love."

"You too, Edward," she breathed.

Just a few minutes later her breathing evened out and I allowed myself to drift off to sleep once more.

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_A/N: So what did you guys think? Was the lovin' good enough? Next chapter you will find out what Edward has planned for their date on friday._


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own Twilight. That right belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I did however invent this plot, so please respect it.**

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**Chapter twenty**

**Bpov**

Waking up in Edward's arms was all I had ever dreamed of and more. The previous night had been passionate and loving all rolled into one and it had solidified my decision to move in with Edward. I was a bit hesitant about the responses we might garner, though. Edward stirred beside me and tightened his grip on me for a moment.

"Morning, beautiful," he murmured as he pressed his lips to my forehead.

"Morning, handsome. What time do you need to be at work?"

"Ugh. Don't talk about that when I have you in my arms."

"Edward, it's already eight and I don't want you to leave your students high and dry."

"Shit!" he exclaimed before shooting out of bed and hurriedly grabbing his toiletries.

I chuckled at his panicked state. "You want me to call the school, honey?"

"No need, I can still make it on time. The kids won't mind if I'm a couple of minutes late!"

"Okay. I'll make you some coffee then."

He pokes his head around the corner and gave me a grateful smile. "You really are perfect."

I chuckled and got up to get his coffee ready. Emma was sitting on the floor in the living room, watching cartoons. I started the coffee before returning to the living room and plopping down next to my daughter.

"Good morning, baby. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, mommy. Did you and daddy sleep well?"

"Yes, we did."

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Em?"

"When are we moving in with daddy?"

"I'm not sure yet. Daddy and I need to talk about that. I'll tell you as soon as I know, okay?"

She nodded. She was biting her lip, her eyebrows scrunched up in concentration, and swaying side to side as if trying to decide what to ask next.

"When will I get a brother or sister?"

It's a good thing I wasn't drinking anything or I might have choked. Saliva was already proving to be difficult. I was coughing loudly, which made her giggle uncontrollably. When I finally got my breathing back under control, I picked her up and placed her in my lap.

"Where did you get that idea?" I asked her.

"Auntie Alice was talking to herself before she left this morning," she said with an innocent expression.

"Really now? Well, maybe you shouldn't eavesdrop."

"But mommy, I want a little brother," she whined.

I hadn't hear Edward come in, but the loud choking behind me certainly got my attention. I laughed when I saw what a mess he had made of himself. He grumbled something unintelligible as he stomped back into the bedroom, probably to change into a clean shirt.

"Leave the shirt in the bathroom and you will get it back clean on Friday," I called after him.

Emma was now bouncing in my lap to get my attention back. I tickled her sides until she was begging me to stop.

"Mommy, please?"

"Please what?"

"Can I have a brother or sister?"

"Maybe in time, baby. Things like that take time and mommy and daddy haven't seen each other for so long that it will take even longer than normal."

It was the best I could do at that moment, but it placated her. I just hoped that she would give up on this idea. None of us were ready to deal with a pregnancy or a baby.

Edward came back in, clean shirt and all and kissed us both goodbye for the day. At the door her pulled me close to him again.

"We should practice a lot first," he murmured against my temple.

I giggled, shoving him out the door as I went. "You sir, are very very bad."

He winked, blew me a kiss and hurried down the hall to get to work.

~*~

Later that morning I took Emma to go see Esme. She had asked me to drop by some time this week and I figured I might as well do it before she would be looking after Emma on Friday. When I pulled up to the house, Esme was crouched by one of her flower beds, carefully extracting some weeds. It was strange to watch such a perfectly styled woman do something like gardening. I made a mental note to make sure to try and get to know Edward's family better.

"Hi, Mrs. Cullen," I said as I got out of the car.

"Bella, dear. It's good to see you again, but please remember to call me Esme. Carlisle's mother is Mrs. Cullen and between you and me I'm not really her biggest fan."

I chuckled as I took Emma out of her booster seat. Emma reached out for Esme, who was beaming when she took her out of my arms.

"Hello, Emma. How are you? You having fun with your mommy here in Seattle?"

Emma nodded vigorously.

"Well, isn't that good to hear. What do you say to a nice glass of milk and some home made cookies?"

Emma squealed excitedly, while hugging Esme's neck.

"Be careful with sugar. She tends to get a bit hyper if she has too much." I commented quietly.

"It's a good thing we have a large playroom so she can get rid of that energy."

I frowned. "Why would you need a playroom?"

"Well, it's kind of an emergency playroom. We temporarily transformed the den so Emma can play to her hearts content this weekend. Each year we usually buy a load of toys for the children's ward of the hospital where Carlisle works. This year we bought extra so Emma can use them whenever she comes over."

"Esme, you shouldn't have."

"Nonsense. She's our first granddaughter and everything she doesn't play with can be saved for future grandchildren, or the kids at the hospital, so hush."

She winks at me before leading me into the house, while Emma chats away happily about us staying in Seattle.

"Oh and the other day, daddy showed me how to play the piano and mommy said we could go live with him, isn't that great?" Emma blurted out.

Esme's eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

"Yes, daddy asked us and mommy said yes."

"Honey, why don't you go check out the playroom while I talk to nanna Esme for a bit. I will bring you your milk and cookies a little later, okay?" I said quickly.

Emma nodded in understanding. Esme gave me a warm smile before she disappeared down the hall to show Emma the den and the toys that they had gotten for her. I heard her gushing from where I was standing and couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. I was still smiling when Esme came back.

"Come to the kitchen with me. I have a pot of tea ready."

I followed her silently and with a steaming mug of tea I slid into one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

"I heard from Edward that you got the job at West High," Esme noted.

"Yes, apparently I was exactly what they had been looking for. I'm not quite sure it was just my resume or the recommendations from Edward and Garrett."

"You know Garrett as well?"

"I take it Edward didn't really give you all the details. Garett lives down the hall from Emmett and Rosalie as you might know. Kate, his girlfriend, was one of my few friends when Edward and I lived with James and Victoria."

"Of course. I actually knew that, I just never made the connection."

"About what Emma said earlier..." I trailed off not knowing what she thought about it.

"I wasn't sure if I should ask you about that," Esme started tentatively. "But it really surprised me. The Edward we've gotten to know isn't one for commitment and certainly not this quickly. I must admit that I am a little weary."

"I understand, but I believe that if Edward had known I was pregnant, he would've done everything in his power back then to take care of me and Emma."

"It's just such a big turn around. I guess it's a bit hard for me to wrap my head around. I hope he isn't rushing into it and ends up ruining things."

"Can you tell me a bit about Edward and what happened the past couple of years?"

She drew a deep breath and exhaled heavily. "I guess I should start at the beginning."

_July 27__th__ 2001_

_Esme's pov_

_Carlisle came home after his shift, but something in his eyes was off. His shoulders were stiff and he was unusually quiet. I kept quiet until Alice and Emmett were both upstairs._

"_Carlisle, darling. What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing for you to be concerned about, dear."_

"_Tell me. You look so defeated."_

"_It's this case I worked on today. It's…"_

_I wrapped my arms around him and let him calm his breathing while gently stroking his back._

"_Tell me about it. It will help."_

"_A girl was brought in today. She was almost raped yesterday. Her boyfriend saved her and they ran away together. This morning their foster dad found them and beat them both up. But this girl won't press charges. She only cares about protecting that boy. I don't know how to deal with that, Esme. Everything in me is screaming to take her under my wing, but they've taken her to an orphanage already and wouldn't let me know which one."_

"_We can search for her if you'd like."_

"_Let's think about it first. We already have two teenagers."_

_I smiled warmly at him. "I will at least pray for her that she might find a decent home."_

"_The girl's last name was Platt, Esme."_

"_That doesn't have to mean anything." I murmured, but in the back of my mind something was urging me to investigate._

_The next couple of days Carlisle's words kept playing through my mind, but when he came home with a job offer in Seattle, it was shoved to the back of my mind. We discussed it in great length and eventually decided to pack up all our things and move to Seattle._

_It was almost two months later when Carlisle called me from the hospital._

"_Esme, we are going to have a new houseguest."_

"_Carlisle? What are you talking about?"_

"_One of my patients. Esme I can't leave this boy here. We need to take him in."_

_I felt my jaw drop. It was the third time I heard those words and I knew Carlisle was not going to let this go._

"_Alright, bring him home with you," I sighed._

_The boy he took home with him had bad boy written all over his face. He was tense and his eyes were guarded, but underneath the hostile exterior I could see a world of pain in his eyes and I knew Carlisle had once again done the right thing in bringing him home._

"_Welcome, I'm Esme. I hope you will feel at home here."_

_I extended one of my hands and with a curt nod he shook it._

"_Edward," he muttered._

"_Well, Edward. I have prepared a room for you. Do you want to clean up before dinner?"_

"_Sure. Just show me where to go."_

_I smiled and motioned for him to follow me. He was quiet while we walked through the hall and up the stairs and the nerves were rolling off of him in waves. When we reached his room, I let him go in first._

"_Bathroom is across the hall. If you need anything, just ask. I'm here."_

"_Thanks," he said quietly and for half a second I could see the vulnerable boy behind his mask and it broke my heart._

_I wanted nothing more that to hug him until all his pain was cried out, but I knew that it would take a long time before something like that would ever happen._

_Every day I watched Edward and every day I wished I could do something to break down his walls. He talked when we asked him something, but never volunteered information. He got along well with Emmett and Alice, but always kept a certain amount of distance. But worst of all were the nightmares. I was the only one that slept light enough to hear him._

_Every night I heard him cry out in his sleep. I'd creep into his room and stroke his hair until her calmed down, before returning to my own bed. He always said the same things._

"_Get off of her. Leave her alone! NO! Bella!"_

_I never asked him who Bella was, I wanted him to come to me on his own, but he didn't._

_One night, a few days before our move to Seattle, Carlisle decided to ask Edward if he wished to stay with us._

"_Edward, can we talk to you?"_

"_Be right there, Carlisle. I just have to throw some stuff in the trash."_

_A few minutes later Edward sauntered into the room and sat down across from us. He was wringing his hands together and his eyes darted nervously from me to Carlisle and back._

"_Edward, we want you to stay with us indefinitely, but we need you to agree with it. If you don't wish to stay, we can try to find you a place to stay that suits you better."_

_Relief flashed across his features, giving us his answer before he could verbalize it._

"_I really want to stay. You guys are so much better than I ever dared dream of."_

"_That's good to hear, son," Carlisle said with a smile._

"_Was that all you wanted to talk about?"_

"_No," I said._

_Carlisle looked confused. "It isn't?"_

"_Well, doesn't Edward deserve to know we will be moving?"_

"_O, right."_

"_Moving? Where are we moving?" Edward asked, clearly surprised._

"_I told you about my new job, right?"_

_Edward nodded slowly._

"_Well, I didn't mention this before because there was a change you wouldn't want to stay with us. But my new job is in Seattle."_

_Edward paled visibly. His eyes clouded over in anger, his fists clenching and unclenching rapidly._

"_Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked in an eerily calm voice._

"_Like I said, we weren't sure you'd stay."_

"_I need to think," he muttered before shooting up from the couch and stalking out of the room._

_A loud thud signalled that he had left the house. I sighed heavily. "You should have told him sooner, Carlisle."_

"_I know. I just kept postponing, hoping that he would get more comfortable with us. Comfortable enough to move across the country with us."_

"_I guess I understand. Let's just hope he won't change his mind about staying."_

_Edward stayed out until midnight. When he came back, something was different. He seemed defeated in some way. I tried to talk to him about it, but his walls were tougher than ever before, even the nightmares were different. He would just keep crying and apologizing in his sleep. It was heartbreaking to witness. _

_We moved to Seattle a couple of days later. After the move Edward's dreams stopped over night. He's still be restless, but he didn't cry or scream in his sleep anymore. I took it as a good sign at first, but when weeks turned into months, I knew it wasn't. He was repressing something and he wouldn't let anybody in far enough to see what it was._

_Edward started to act out. He got into fights at school, his grades were dropping, he went to parties every Friday and Saturday. Rumours started that he would sleep around with girls and then dump them, when he eventually crashed his car while drunk, we had enough._

_Carlisle had picked him up from the police station and told him to stay in his study until we were ready to talk to him. It took Carlisle an hour to calm down._

"_Edward, this behaviour has got to stop. We've sit by long enough and you need us to step in now. You're a smart kid, you can do better things with your life than this destructive behaviour."_

"_I know."_

"_We know you've been through a lot, but using girls the way you do is not something to be proud of."_

"_What? What are you talking about?"_

"_There are some strong rumours about you going around, son. We've heard numerous stories about you having one-night stands. You're seventeen, Edward. You're too young to do things like that."_

"_I never did that! I haven't even kissed a girl since we moved here!"_

"_Then where are these rumours coming from?"_

"_Tanya Denali," he spat, venom dripping from his voice._

"_Who is Tanya Denali?"_

"_She's a girl that I went to school with in Phoenix. She and I dated for a short while, but I broke up with her. She wanted to sleep with me and I didn't want to. She made up some story about us sleeping together long after we broke up to keep her reputation. But I never did. And I haven't done anything with anybody since we moved here!"_

"_It's okay, Edward. We believe you." I said softly. "For now you are grounded for four weeks. You can drive to and from school with Emmett or Alice and we expect you to improve your grades drastically."_

_He nodded. "Can I go to my room now?"_

_Carlisle and I both nodded and watched him walk out._

"_We've got our work cut out for us, darling," he murmured as he took me in his arms._

"_I know."_

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_A/N: Esme's pov will take us another chapter so that we can understand our Edward a little better. What did you guys think?_

_The Tanya explanation will be in chapter 22, so hold on for some major b*tchyness and blind fury._


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: No matter how much I wish it were different, none of these characters belong to me. I only own the plot.**

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Chapter twenty-one

_**Esme's pov**_

_Edward threw himself into his school work from that point on. The four weeks that he had been grounded, he suffered in silence. He didn't complain or asked us to remove the punishment, but he didn't talk much about anything else either._

_When I'd ask him how school was he was always polite but short in his responses. About two weeks after he had gotten a car to replace the one he wrecked, he came home looking more distraught than ever._

"_Edward, what's wrong?" I asked him as soon as I saw the look in his eyes._

"_Nothing, I'll be upstairs."_

_He hurried up to his room before I could stop him. An uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach made me wait for Alice to come home from her study date with a girl named Maggy. She came dancing in not much later, but there was something off about Alice too._

"_Alice, what happened in school today? Edward was completely out of it and you seem to be a bit off as well."_

_She silently slid into a chair at the kitchen table and started fidgeting with her sleeve. After a few minutes of tense silence she drew a deep breath and asked me to come sit with her._

"_Mom, there are a few girls that came to school with us that Edward knows from his past. They are three sisters and they went to school with Edward in Phoenix. The eldest, Tanya, is a real bitch. She keeps spreading around these stories about her and Edward, while Edward insists they aren't true. It's been going on ever since her first day and because some of the girls in school as jealous, they do the same thing. But Edward never even talks to any girls in school. He's just as closed off as he is here."_

_She paused, clearly debating whether she should continue or not._

"_One of Tanya's sisters, I think her name is Kate, she's a year younger than us. She approached Edward at lunch today. She apologized for Tanya. She said that he knew what she was like and it seemed that ever since she asked her dad to move away from Phoenix things had gotten worse. Edward asked her if Tanya had specifically asked to move them to Seattle and Kate confirmed it."_

"_Edward pulled her out into the hall to talk to her some more, but when he came back his eyes were all wrong. There was something really scary in them and then Tanya came up to the table and asked if he ever heard something from 'that slut Bella'. He completely flew off the handle. He screamed at her never to mention this girl again and to stay the hell away from him. He even said that, even though he would never hit a woman, she was the one girl in the world that tempted him to do so. She just smirked and told him she liked riling him up and that it made him so much more forceful in bed."_

"_Emmett had to restrain him from knocking her out cold. Edward just left school and I guess he drove around long enough to calm down. He was really freaked out when Tanya mentioned that girl though. Do you think he loved her?"_

_I wrung my hands together. I had heard the girl's name before, but neither Edward nor any other member of my family knew about this and I knew it wouldn't be a good idea to divulge the information._

"_I don't know Alice. I just hope that in time Edward will trust us enough to tell us what is so special about this Bella."_

_Alice nodded and quietly walked out of the kitchen. She was perceptive and had an acute sense of things to come, but in her demeanour I saw that she didn't believe that Edward would never volunteer anything on the subject. I hated to do so, but I was forced to agree with her. Edward was a private person and he would certainly not tell us anything about his past as long as he wasn't forced to by dire circumstances._

_Time passed rather quickly after that. The rest of that first school year in Seattle, Edward didn't do much more than go to school, come home and do his homework and sometimes play the piano. He wasn't very proficient, but I could hear he had, at some point in his past, taken lessons._

_I eventually asked him if he wanted to take lessons again and his acceptance was the first small step in getting a little closer to him. He started taking lessons a few months before the summer holidays and he improved quickly._

_He played for hours after he got home, sometimes doing simple modern songs, sometimes playing heavy classical tunes. One constant though, was the glum mood of the music he played._

_Over the summer something changed though. Emmett was preparing to go to college at UW and Edward joined him on the few trips he made up there to get his dorm room settled. He apparently met some girl there, who was going to e a freshman in college along with Emmett._

_Edward didn't tell me about her, Emmett did. He told me he had noticed Edward chatting her up and during their second trip to UW, he had caught her and Edward making out. I didn't know how serious he became with the girl, but he did make a few trips to see her during his break. We ever met the girl and after a few weeks he didn't go see her again._

_I tried talking to him about it, but he just told me it was just some girl he'd kissed, but it wasn't anything serious. It wasn't until Emmett came home for the weekend one day that we found out that the girl had wanted to go on a date instead of make out all the time and Edward had refused. He had told her he didn't do dates. She had begged Emmett to put in a good word for her, but Emmett was wise enough to stay out of it._

_Emmett was convinced by that one encounter, that other rumours about Edward were true. So being a much of a love 'em and leave 'em type as he made Edward out to be, he started listing these rumours as true accounts and he made up his mind that Edward was a womaniser._

_Edward never contested it, but seeing as how he never spent much time away from the house apart form those few weeks in the summer, I could hardly believe he was that kind of boy. _

_Unfortunately Edward proved me wrong. He was back in school for his senior year for about three months, when a girl showed up on our doorstep unannounced._

"_Hello, dear. What can I do for you?"_

"_I was looking for Edward."_

"_Is he expecting you?"_

"_I don't think he is, but he'll want to see me"_

"_Come in and sit down. If you tell me your name I will go get him."_

"_It's Becky."_

"_Okay, Becky. Just wait here and I will go and get him."_

_She nodded and sat down on one of the sofa's. She radiated an arrogance that was very unattractive, but I decided not to think too much about it._

"_Edward, there is someone downstairs to see you."_

_He looked up from his sheet music with an angry scowl. "Who?" he asked curtly._

"_Don't take that tone with me, Edward. It's a girl named Becky. She said you'd want to see her."_

"_Well, she's wrong. I don't want to see her. Can you ask her to leave?"_

"_Not a chance young man. I am not a messenger service. You want the girl to leave, you go tell her yourself."_

_He grumbled under his breath before he shot up from his piano bench and darted down the stairs. I followed behind him. I wasn't going to listen to the conversation, but when I heard Becky's words I stood frozen in the hallway._

"_Come on, Edward. We had fun. I think you were satisfied with my performance, were you not?"_

"_That's not it, Becky. It's been fun these past few weeks, but that's all it was. Fun. Yeah you satisfied my physical needs, but I'm not looking for a girlfriend."_

"_No," she spat. "You just want to keep me on the side to use in the back of your car when you're antsy. Well, screw you, Edward. I want a relationship, I want to hold your hand in school and sit with you at lunch where everyone can see us together."_

"_Sorry, Becky. You know I won't do that. It's been nice knowing you, but please do not humiliate yourself any further. It's really not becoming."_

_My heart clenched at his harsh words and his distant tone. I had never expected to hear things like this from Edward. Becky might not have been the kind of girl I hoped to see him with, but his behaviour towards her was so bad that I actually felt sorry for her._

_I heard them walking to the door and I quickly darted into the den. I really didn't feel like getting caught overhearing that._

_I tried talking to Edward a few times about Becky and what I had overheard, but he would always brush me off. We were getting closer on all fronts, but not where it concerned girls. I eventually gave up._

_Edward went back to his previous routine of working hard and his music and he managed to graduate early. He enrolled in a few courses at UW to hold him over to the new school year and it soon became evident that he wanted to major in music, which sparked a major confrontation between Carlisle and Edward._

"_Edward, music is nice as a minor, but as a major you will limit yourself so much. You have the intelligence to do so much more!"_

"_Like what?" Edward spat. "Pre-med? Law? What? What will be good enough?"_

"_Don't you take that tone with me. We have been nothing but supportive and we just want you to succeed in life."_

"_What if I want to succeed in music? I don't want some high end job. I want to spend my time with my music as much as I can. I can teach, or get my masters in composing. It's not like I expect to live some fairy tale life of becoming famous and rich."_

"_But you are so smart. Why won't you use that intellect?"_

"_I am using it so I can finish early and become self-sufficient as soon as I can."_

"_Is that what this is about? The fastest way to get away from us. I thought you liked it here?"_

"_That's not it at all! I admit that was how I felt when we first moved here. I just wanted to bide my time until I could take care of myself, but now it is more a need to prove to myself that I have learned enough from you and Esme to live on my own. To take responsibility for my own life. Don't you want me to be independent, because I thought independence is what you both were teaching me."_

_Carlisle opened his mouth to speak, but I placed a hand on his arm to stop him._

"_Edward you're right. We want you to be able to take care of yourself, but we also want what's best for you. You think that music as a major is what's best for you, because it's something you love, but please be reasonable and pick a minor that will serve as a basis for a more solid study. Just in case you need the back-up."_

_Carlisle clenched his jaw, but managed to keep his expression in check. He wanted Edward to take pre-med, because he and I both knew he could become a wonderful doctor. I knew from personal experience that pushing just didn't work. My parents had wanted me to take law so I could one day take over my father's law firm, seeing as my younger sister wasn't going to college, because she was pregnant. But I refused. I studied to become an interior decorator, but the fights that came beforehand created such a big rupture that I never spoke to my parents again after I left for college._

_My parents never attempted to contact me. I heard years later that my baby-sister had died during childbirth. They didn't even give me the chance to say goodbye to her or see my niece, because they were still peeved about my choices._

_So that was why I didn't want to push Edward in a direction he didn't want. Nothing in the world was worth losing your kid over. Especially when you can salvage the relationship by being compliant and willing to compromise._

_Edward had reluctantly agreed to take Biology as a minor so he could switch to pre-med should he want or need to and then quickly excused himself so he could work on another composition. When he was upstairs, Carlisle turned on me._

"_How could you let him do that?"_

"_Calm down."_

"_No, I won't. The kid managed to graduate early because he's incredibly intelligent and you are willing to let him squander that mind on a free-bird course like music?"_

"_Now, Carlisle, there is no need to sound so condescending. You have heard him play, he his a brilliant musician and music is by no means a free-bird course. Have you read the information on all required subjects and the advised study hours. If he's going to do this, it will take up most of his time. He wouldn't go for such a heavy load if he weren't passionate about it. Do you think he would sacrifice that much time to become a doctor? Think about what you're doing. Do you want to force him out of our lives just by demanding what education he chooses?"_

_Carlisle huffed. "You're not seeing things clearly, Esme. You're babying the boy."_

_Carlisle and I didn't really speak to each other for two days, the exact time it took for him to realize how stubborn he was being and for Edward to start feeling so guilty he wanted to give in to Carlisle's demands. We eventually settled on the compromise I had suggested two days prior._

_When Edward set off to UW in the fall, where he had managed to get a decent single dorm room, Emmett ran into some major drama. He had met a girl at the beginning of the summer. Her name was Zafrina and she was originally from Brazil. She and Emmett had really hit it off and they rushed into a very intense relationship._

_None of us, including Edward, felt it was a good idea, but Emmett had agreed to move to an off-campus apartment with her and there was nothing any of us could do to stop him. It was week into the new year when Emmett was standing on our doorstep, bags in hand, transfer paper to Phoenix in his back pocket._

_Apparently Zafrina had been using Emmett. He had wanted to surprise her two days before and came home early only to find her in bed with two other men. The boys he used to share a dorm room with._

_It was messy and Emmett was hurt badly, but he quickly moved out to Phoenix to give himself some space and only weeks after he called home to tell us he met Rosalie._

"_Mom, I met the perfect girl."_

_I was a bit wary, but wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt._

"_Really? That's wonderful, Emmett. What's her name?"_

"_Rosalie Hale. She's absolutely gorgeous and a real spitfire. She studies engineering and knows how to throw one hell of a punch, I had to learn that the hard way." he chuckled as he said it, making me smile in the process. _

"_She sounds like she's the girl you've been looking for, honey."_

"_She is, mom. Once I saw her I knew I haven't really loved Zafrina. She might be the one for me, imagine that."_

"_Yes, indeed. Imagine that. Doesn't she have a sister we could set Edward up with. He might need someone like that."_

"_Nah, she has a half-brother. He's really cool, but I don't think Edward swings that way. She does have a cousin who could be good for him. Although, Rosalie is fiercely protective of the little squirt. I doubt she'd let my brother near him."_

_I laughed light-heartedly. The girl sounded like the perfect fit for Emmett. He needed someone who could keep him in line._

"_Well, Emmett be sure to bring her with you during the holidays and please let her brother and cousin know they are more than welcome to join her."_

"_I'll let them know, but I think Izzy would rather stay home with her daughter over the holidays."_

"_Oh my, Rosalie has a child?"_

"_No, her cousin. It's a sad story, really. She fell in love with this boy. They spent one night together and then he got sent away. She never knew what happened to him, but she still hopes she'll find him someday. It's a shame that she's still waiting for him, though. She's a real beauty and smart as hell too. She'd be able to straighten out Edward."_

"_Well, try to convince her to take my invitation and add her daughter if that's what it takes."_

"_I'll ask. I have to go mom, I've got a paper to finish."_

"_Fine sweetheart. Give Rosalie my best and I'll talk to you later."_

"_Bye mom."_

July 26th 2007

Bpov

"It's a shame you never took the offer," Esme said quietly.

"I know. I've been thinking the same thing. We had other chances but never met, so I guess it wasn't meant to happen sooner," I stated just as quietly.

"I guess you are right. But enough with the glum memories. Let's go see what Emma is up to and bring her those cookies I promised her."

I laughed at Esme's blunt change of subject to lighten the mood and followed her out of the kitchen to find my daughter in her newly acquired playroom.

_

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_A/N: So, a little more of Edward's history explained. Of course the only one to rightfully explain it all, is Edward himself. He will get to it in one of the chapters that are coming up as will Bella. They of course have six years to talk about._

_Next chapter we find out what Tanya did exactly to keep our two heroes apart, so stay tuned for more ;)_


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Those rights belond to Stephenie Meyer. I only invented the plotline.

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Chapter twenty-two

**July 26****th**** 2007**

**Epov**

After leaving Bella behind to go to work, I felt a little guilty. She had to deal with our nosy daughter and her questions about having a brother or sister. If I was being completely honest with myself I would have loved to say as soon a possible, but the reasonable part of my brain had helped me stifle those words. We were being rash enough as it was and Bella starting her period in the middle of the night probably was for the best.

As I drove to the school I reminisced about last night. It had been perfect and it had truly felt like making love, not just having sex. I realized I had never experienced sex like I had last night. Not after that first time with Bella all those years ago. I had never felt it so deep down, it used to be mere physical gratification, last night I felt it down to my soul.

With a deep breath I parked my car at the school. The students were waiting outside my classroom and I heard them debating to go home or to wait a little longer.

"Good morning everybody. Sorry to have kept you waiting, I overslept."

I opened to door for them and waited patiently for them to get their instruments ready and their sheet music out. Emily raised her hand slowly.

"Yes, Emily?"

"Mr. Cullen, might we ask you a personal question?"

"You may ask, but I won't guarantee you I'll answer."

"Um, there is a new coach for the cheerleading team and we overheard her talking about how you and her were going to go on a date. Is she the reason you've been so happy lately?"

Her cheeks were flaming red and the other students looked a little sheepish. I chuckled at their collective curiosity.

"Emily, I take it you lost the draw and was the one to have to ask me for the whole class?"

She nodded, fiddling with a piece of sheet music.

"It's okay to ask if you're all curious, but it is my private life. I can guarantee you, though that I have no interest whatsoever in Ms. Denali. She and I have been in high school together and she's always had a very vivid imagination. Just because I like you kids so much I will tell you that I am seeing someone and she makes me really, really happy. Her name is Bella Swan and she will start the new school year as an English teacher."

"Wow!" Nick exclaimed. "Is that the hot brunette I saw you with at the ice cream parlour a few days ago?"

"Yes, it was."

"She's a beauty, but doesn't she have a kid?"

I laughed. "Yes she does. You'll find out soon enough anyway. That little girl is my daughter."

Casey, who was sitting next to Emily, raised her hand while biting her top lip.

"Yes, Casey?"

"How did that happen? Did you have a one night stand a few years ago or something?"

"Okay after I tell you this we will get to work, no more questions."

The group nodded and eagerly leaned forward. I cleared my throat and perched on the edge of my desk.

"Bella was adopted by the couple that I was living with at the time. We were supposed to be like a brother and sister, but neither of us could see the other as a sibling. We were too old for that and the attraction was there from day one. I was a bit of a jerk in the beginning. At that time I was actually dating Ms. Denali, but it soon became clear to me that she was not the one I wanted to date, it was Bella."

"I broke up with Ms. Denali and slowly tried to become friends with Bella. After several months of hesitation we finally admitted we were in love with each other. We dated for several months, but during the summer break some crazy stuff happened and we were both sent back to the orphanages were we had originally come from."

"We never saw each other again until last Friday at my brother's wedding. Her cousin is my brother's wife. So we saw each other and I realized her daughter was mine. We talked a lot over the weekend and both realized we still loved each other. So we are trying to get to know one another again and hopefully we will now finally get our happily ever after."

The girls all sighed and gushed how romantic it all was, while the boys lost interest about half way through.

"So, let's get to work, shall we?"

After a several hours practice, we decided it had been enough.

"Listen up everyone. I want you all to take tomorrow off. Do not touch your instruments or sheet music for the rest of the weekend. Relax and try to avoid thinking too much about the show casing. I will see you all here for the next rehearsal on Monday morning."

The kids all thanked me for my help and took off, chatting happily together. I sat back in my chair and took in the music room. It felt more like home to me than my apartment, but I hoped that that would change as soon as Bella and Emma moved in with me.

My thoughts drifted to the remark that Emily had made about Tanya. That woman just didn't let up. When it came to me she was seriously deranged. I debated calling Kate, but I didn't want to ignite the lingering spark of ire between the sisters. They had fought enough about me when they first moved to Seattle.

My classroom door was thrown open and there was the bane of my existance, like I had conjured her up just by thinking about her.

"Tanya, what are you doing here?"

"I figured I could find you here, seeing as you weren't home."

"What were you doing it my house?"

"I wanted to warn you about Bella. She's not good for you and then coming here with a kid and claiming its yours. Seriously, open your eyes, Edward. She's only after you for your money."

"Tanya, give it a rest. Bella didn't even know I lived here. She came to the wedding of her cousin, who happened to be the girl my brother was getting married to. She never expected to find me here."

"I tried to make sure and stilll..." she muttered under her breath.

"What on earth are you talking about, Tanya?"

"Nothing," she said a little too innocently.

"Tanya, can you explain to me how it is that your family happened to move to Seattle only a week after I did? How, of all available schools in Seattle, you and your sisters ended up in the one I was at?"

She shrugged. "I asked daddy to find you when you were adopted and he found out when you and your new family were moving to Seattle. We waited a week to make sure you had gone with them. I simply couldn't be away from you."

"How did you even know I wasn't with the Hunters anymore, Tanya? It was summer break, we hadn't seen each other since the end of last semester."

"Fine! I saw you and that little slut run away from your house that night. I wanted to convince you to come back to me, but instead you and her were running together like the devil himself was behind you. I followed you to that abandoned house and sneaked upstairs. When I heard the two of you I was revolted. I nearly retched. How could you let her touch you?"

"Tanya, what did you do?"

"I went home and early the next morning I called Mr. Hunter and told him where to find you," she said flatly, with another shrug.

I wanted to do nothing more than punch that indifferent expression off her face, but that would make me no better than James.

"You are the worst kind of human being on this planet, Tanya. James beat the shit out of me and almost attacked Bella. Bella and I have lived six years in misery. Thanks to you Bella had to go through her pregnancy all alone. She had to raise Emma by herself for six years, all the while trying to complete her education. You destroyed us!"

"Yeah, fat lot of good that did me She's here and you're all over her again! I took this freaking job so I could try to win you over, but now she's even taken that away from me! I hate her! I wish she would just die!"

I strode over to her and towered over her fuming frame. The livid expression sowly faded into real fear as she took in my murderous glare.

"If you ever so much look at her the wrong way I will get you. I have ways that can hurt you more than you can imagine, Tanya. Do not mess with me. Do not make up anymore stories about us dating. Do not come near me or my family again," I hissed through clenched teeth.

Er eyes were wide and her mouth was agape. In any other moment I would have laughed at her ridiculous face, but I was to livid to even note it fully. She finally nodded mutely and shuffled back out of the room. She almost ran out of the hall, away from me.

I sighed in relief as she disappeared from my sight. It had taken every ounce of strength in my body to keep from slapping her. I needed Bella so much it was hurting, so I dug my phone out of my pocket and flipped it open. She answered on the second ring.

"Hey, you," she breathed.

"Hello to you too, love. God, I miss you What are you doing?"

"Me and Emma are visiting your mother. She just showed me the playroom they fabricated for Emma. It's huge!"

I chuckled. "That sounds like the parents I know and love."

"I miss you too, you know."

"I know, love. Alice is coming over tonight right?"

"Yes. She told me to let you know you were not to come anywhere near the apartment until you pick me up for our date. She's going to take Emma over to your parents house for us tomorrow."

"That sounds like a good plan. Promise me one thing?"

"Of course."

"If Alice gets too demanding, call me so I can lure her away from you."

"I'm sure we'll be fine. I can resist her pout, remember."

"You sure can," I laughed.

"What time will you pick me up tomorrow?"

"I think around five, I've got early dinner plans and after that I have a surprise for you."

"I still hate surprises, Edward."

"You'll love this one. I promise it's nothing too extravagant."

I could almost hear her rolling her eyes. "Fine. See you tomorrow at five."

"Give my mom and Emma a kiss for me. See you tomorrow, love."

"I love you."

"Love you too."

I heard a quiet click on the other end and shut the phone. I wasn't going to see my girls until the end of the day tomorrow. I suddenly felt lost with so much spare time on my hands. I decided I'd better start making arrangements for our date.

~*~

Friday came faster than I had expected. It was three in the afternoon and I was freaking out over my plans. I was second guessing everything I had planed. Would it be too much? I knew she loved me and she wanted to move in with me, but what if my eagerness scared her off.

I had never been this nervous about a date in my life. Heck, I had never been this nervous over anything. My freaking out over tonight did come with one benefit, the time for me to pick up Bella came faster than I expected. I nervously tried once again to make something of my unruly hair and with a deep breath, headed out to my car.

The drive to Bella's was mercifully short and I swiftly hurried up to the apartment. The moment I was standing in front of that door, I got nervous all over again. My palms were sweating and I was shaking all over.

"Get a grip, Cullen," I muttered to myself as I raised my hand to knock.

The door flew open almost immediately after I knocked, and I was met with my very hyper sister and daughter.

"Hello, girls. Is Bella ready to go?"

Alice tutted and pulled me into the room. "Sit down, because I assure you if you don't we will have to pick you up off the floor."

I rolled my eyes, but sat down anyway. Alice placed Emma in my lap before turning to the bedroom and dramatically throwing it open.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Isabella Marie Swan."

I chuckled, knowing that Bella hated being called her full name, but the chuckle died in my throat as she stepped out into the living room. She was absolutely stunning in a deep blue dress that hugged her torso and flowed out from her hips into a knee-length skirt. The neckline was modest, but when she twirled around I noticed that the dress dipped down until just above her bottom.

The back was held together by a few small straps that ran criss-cross over her back. Her hair was piled up on her head in a sexy disarray of curls and her make-up was light but accentuated her delicate features.

"Love, you look breathtaking," I whispered in awe.

"Mommy you are a real princess," Emma squealed before squirming off my lap and running to hug her around the legs.

I got up off the couch and stepped closer to her. Seeing her like this, made me realize how unique it was that this goddess had never found someone to sweep her off her feet in the time we were apart. My chest exploded with happiness as I realized how amazing it was that she had waited for me.

She beamed at me, reaching out a hand to pull me closer to her. I wrapped her up in my arms as Emma darted over to Alice. I gently placed a kiss on Bella's lips and she melted into my embrace.

Emma's giggled behind us and I felt Bella's lips curve up into a smile, just like mine did. I pulled away so I could look into her gorgeous eyes. Her whole face was lit up in excitement that rivalled my own.

"Well, Emma why don't you go give your mommy and daddy a kiss goodnight and then you and me can go see nanna Esme and grandpa Carlisle."

Emma beckoned us closer and gave us both a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. She grabbed my face between her tiny hands and looked me square in the eyes.

"Do you promise to make mommy happy?"

"Of course, angel. Do you promise to behave yourself at nanna's?"

"Of course," she scoffed.

Bella laughed and gave her another hug and kiss before turning to me and taking the arm I offered her.

"Have fun you two and don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Alice sang as we headed for the door.

"Meddling pixie," Bella muttered, but the glint in her eye betrayed her amusement at my sister's comment.

The drive to the restaurant was short and quiet, but never uncomfortable. I pulled into the parking lot of 'La Bella Italia' and swiftly move to open Bella's door. She was smiling happily and took my hand without hesitation. My life just felt perfect in that moment.

I approached the host and told him I reserved a table under Cullen.

"Of course, sir. Please follow me."

He strolled through the crowded restaurant with an air of importance which was rather ridiculous since La Bella Italia was a quite simple restaurant. Bella giggled beside me, apparently thinking the same thing.

We were directed to a table in a quiet corner by the fireplace. The host took off after letting us know our waitress would be with us shortly, leaving Bella and I alone together.

"What do you think?" I asked her, still a bit nervous.

"It's perfect. Will you tell me what you have planned for the rest of the night?"

"Hmmm… I'm not sure. Maybe you need to convince me," I said with a wink.

She laughed and leaned close to my ear. I could feel her breath fanning across my neck, sending warm shivers down my spine.

"I could kiss you senseless, would that help?"

"Definitely."

She smirked as she leaned close to my face, but before her lips could find mine we were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

Our heads snapped up simultaneously and just because the mood had been so light we both chuckled at ourselves.

"Good evening, my name is Angela and I'll be your server tonight. What would you like to drink?" the girl asked with a warm smile.

After we ordered our drinks, she handed us the menus and moved over to the next table next to us. Bella sighed and took my hand between both of hers.

"Do you want to tell me now?" she asked sweetly, looking down at our hands.

"Oh, why not? I pulled some strings and we have access to the library until midnight. We can just wander through the aisles to find you whatever book you crave, or maybe do some research on any living relatives."

She raised her eyebrows. "Where did you get that idea?"

"I was thinking the other day that neither of us have any family history on illnesses or hereditary diseases. It might be wise to look that up for ourselves, but also for Emma."

She bit her lip, her eyes brimming with tears.

"And," I add to take away the pain in her eyes. "Maybe we have some really nice aunts and uncles out there who really want to get to know us."

She smiled a watery smile and hugged me tightly. "I think it's a great idea," she whispered in my ear. "I'd love to dig around our family tree. Maybe we can make a chart for Emma to hang in her room."

I kiss her cheek. "If you want we can make a mural of it. Anything you want, love."

The tears left her eyes and we settled into comfortable conversation until our food arrived.

_

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_A/N: The rest of the date will be in the next chapter along with a few enexpected discoveries._

_Thank you to all my reviewers for your kind words and support. I love you all for reading._

_Mo_


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Mrs. S. Meyer, plotline belongs to me.

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Chapter twenty-three

**Bpov**

I was amazed by how thoughtful Edward had been while planning our date. He knew how much I loved books and I mentioned in passing how badly I wanted to visit the big library in town somewhere, but since I couldn't really take Emma with me I hadn't gone yet. He even remembered me telling him that I love Italian food.

When our food arrived we were silently savouring it. It was simple, but it tasted heavenly and nothing could've taken my focus away from my scrumptious pasta. Not even Edward. When I glanced up at him I saw him practically inhaling his food, while making the funniest little moans. I couldn't take it anymore and started laughing.

He looked up with that adorable crooked smile and my stomach filled with butterflies again. He was just too perfect. Why would he still want me after all these years? It just seemed so unreal. A week ago I was a single mom with no hope for a love life, and now I was part of a family with the father of my child and love of my life.

I shook my head at the absurdity of our situation. I knew he loved me, I could see it in his eyes and despite the fact that I still had my bouts of insecurity, I knew we would never be apart again from here on out.

"Edward?"

"Yes, love?"

"When do you think Emma and I should move in with you? I was thinking we'd better wait until Em and Rose are back from their honeymoon and they know what's going on. I feel kind of weird abandoning their house while they're not even aware of what happened since their wedding."

"We need to alter some things in my apartment first anyway, so we do need to take a little while before the move. I was hoping you and Emma would join me tomorrow to find the furniture and decorating material we need."

"We'd love to."

"And we still have to find you a car."

I groaned. "I completely forgot about that. When do you have time to help me with that?"

"I can clear up the afternoon on Monday. That is, if you are available."

"Sure, Monday is as good as any other day."

We were quiet again, just staring into each other's eyes. Edward smiled his crooked smile before he leaned in and kissed me. His lips felt so warm and soft and simply heavenly that I let out an involuntary moan.

This man would be my undoing and I would happily watch my world crumble as long as he was by my side. What we had was intense and all consuming and I wanted it for all eternity. If I could I would give us immortality so we would never have to be apart.

"What are you thinking, love?" he murmured against my lips.

I pulled away, my tell-tale blush creeping up my neck. "I was thinking that I want you for the rest of time. If I could make us both immortal, I would."

His eyes were fierce with love and longing. "I would too, love. No matter how old we grow, I will never have enough time with you on this earth. I need you for an eternity and more."

I fisted my hands in his hair and pulled him to me so I could crush my lips to his. Edward groaned when I tugged on his hair. I completely forgot where we were. I just lost myself in our mind-blowing kiss.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a high-thrilled voice behind me said. "If it isn't Edward Cullen."

Edward pulled back, giving me an apologetic smile.

"Good evening Caius," he said in an icy tone.

I looked up to find an elderly man with long grey hair and ice blue eyes staring intently at Edward.

"Good evening, Edward. How are you these days? Haven't heard from you since you graduated."

Edward grimaced. "No, I have been living a quiet life. I teach at West High."

"Ah. That sounds..nice. My Jane has been accepted with the Philharmonic Orchestra."

"Good for her. Give her my congratulations when you next see her."

Caius looked livid in that instant. "I will do nothing of the sort. The only thing you ever brought Jane was heart ache. She's found herself a nice man who is good to her. I do not want you sniffing around her again. You did enough damage the first time."

"Caius, I meant nothing more than exactly what I said. I am in a committed relationship and am in no way, as you so nicely put it, sniffing around your daughter."

The older man snorted indignantly and then leaned close to me. I could smell his bad breath and had to fight the urge to plug my nose.

"My dear girl, your interests are best served far away from this cad. He will make you believe you have captured his heart only to cast you aside as soon as you confess your feelings to him."

I felt like I had been slapped in the face. Had Edward told other girls he loved them?

"Of course," Caius drawled as he slid a finger from my neck across my shoulder, making me shudder in disgust. "He will never actually tell you he loves you. No he's careful enough not to do that. It will only make it easier when he wants to get rid of you."

Edward rose from his chair and took a step closer to Caius. He took the older man forcefully by his arm.

"Caius, that is enough! I have been civil to you once you started insulting me after I broke things off with Jane because it was just me, but don't you ever again insult the woman I love by assuming she means nothing to me."

Caius' mouth hung agape at Edward's fierce declaration. "I'll leave you to your evening," he muttered quietly before hurrying to a table on the other end of the room.

When he sat down I saw him talking to the young blond woman at his side and she swiftly turned her head in our direction. Edward groaned as he followed my line of sight.

"Edward, is that by any chance Jane?"

"Yes," he whispered as he sank back into his seat. "This night is turning into a nightmare. I am so sorry love."

"Don't be. We can leave if you want, I don't mind."

"No. I have already pre-ordered the chocolate soufflé and it would be such a shame to let it go to waste. Please, let's just finish our meal. I doubt either of them will come and talk to us."

I smiled and took his hand in mine so I could kiss his knuckles. He looked so relieved it actually made me laugh a little.

"Do you think this is funny, ms. Swan?" he asked smirking.

"Yes. It's only the second time you take me into town and it's the second time we run into a woman that is or has been infatuated with you."

He rolled his eyes, but didn't offer a retort. I just kept grinning and finished off my plate. About fifteen minutes later our waitress, Angela, came to clear our plates and inform us the soufflé would be served in ten. We thanked her and ordered another glass of wine.

"Can you tell me what happened between you and Jane?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm not sure that that's such a good idea, Bella."

"Please?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because it's a part of your past that I don't know about and I want all there is to know about you, even the stuff that I don't like to hear. We need to be honest with each other."

"I'll give you the abbreviated version then you can ask parts you want specifics on, is that okay?"

"Yes, it is."

"Caius was my music history teacher at university. He was always bragging about his daughter and I continually taunted him about it. He eventually told me he would set up some form of contest between me and Jane so I could see he was right about her talent. That's when I first met her."

"We each played two pieces and two other teachers chose the winner. Jane won simply because she was indeed better than me. My ego was pretty wounded after that, so that night I went to a club and got drunk off my ass. Somewhere during my inebriated state I ran into Jane and we dance together. When I walked her home she invited me in, but I declined, sobered up enough from the frosty air to know that that wasn't a good idea."

"Jane kept inventing ways to run into me after that. She's a girl that is used to getting what she wants and because I turned her down that first night, she kept coming after me. About a month after our first meeting, I gave in. We were at the same club, both of us drunk enough to be uninhibited and I ended up going to her house with her."

I clenched my fists under the table, determined to listen without interrupting, but it was proving to be difficult.

"We slept together that night. I didn't want anything long term, but Jane kept asking me to come over again. We hooked up a few times in the following weeks and somehow she got it in her head that I was in love with her. I didn't know about it, until Caius cornered me about a family dinner."

"I immediately went to Jane and asked her what was going on. She confessed she was in love with me and that she thought I felt the same. I explained to her that I wasn't. She was heartbroken and her dad was furious. Thankfully it was my last semester as Caius' student, so I was able to avoid contact with them as much as possible. Tonight was the first time in a long time that I have seen them."

He looked so remorseful that it hurt my chest.

"I love you, Edward. No matter what is in your past." I said with conviction.

"I love you too, baby. So much. I'm sorry that I wasn't as strong a believer as you these past years."

I heard a startled gasp and I immediately knew we had an unwanted witness to our conversation. I closed my eyes, took a couple of deep breaths and looked up to find none other than Jane standing a few feet away.

"Good evening, Jane. Can we help you with something?" I asked, my voice tight by restraining myself from screaming out in frustration.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said in a soft lilting voice. "I just wanted to say hello."

"By all means," I said, crossing my arms over my chest and arching an eyebrow.

I had perfected that look by dealing with the likes of Jessica and Lauren for years and with Jane it had the same affect. She looked guarded. Good.

"Uhm, yeah well Edward, it's good to see you again," she murmured turning her back to me.

"Yeah, you too, Jane."

"How have you been?"

"Great. I found the girl I truly love, so I'm completely happy."

"That good to know."

"And you? Caius mentioned you met someone special?"

"Yeah, his name's Alec. He's a real sweet heart."

"Great. Well, our dessert will be here shortly, so if you'll excuse us."

Jane nodded and turned to go back to her table. She threw him one last, longing look and then kept her eyes averted. My hands were itching to slap something, preferably one of Edward's former flings, but I effectively stopped by Angela bringing us an absolutely mouth-watering soufflé.

We ate our dessert in silence. I could sense that Edward was on edge with my refusal to talk, but I need a little time to calm down my temper. It was one thing to ask about his past, it was quite another to see that his past had not let him go, no matter that she had found someone new.

As we walked down the street to the library, Edward pulled me into an alley and pinned me against the wall by bracing both hands on either side of me head.

"Talk to me," he growled.

"I can't."

"Please don't tell me I'm losing you over this."

"No! How can you even think that?"

"I don't know! You haven't said a word since Jane came up to the table and your entire demeanour is sub-zero at the moment!" he exclaimed as he tossed his hands in the air.

I put my hands on either side of his face and pulled him down so I could kiss him. He groaned into my mouth as he slipped his arms around my waist and pulled me tight against his body. I plunged my tongue into his mouth, desperate to show him I wanted him no matter what. Edward lifted me off my feet, while pressing me against the wall. I wrapped my legs around his waist and ground my hips against his.

I pulled my mouth form his and looked at him sternly. "I told you tonight that I want an eternity with you. That means the good, the bad and the ugly. I just really, really wanted to slap that girl in there. She has a boyfriend but she would have gone home with you if you would have asked. It disgusted me. It had nothing to do with you."

"Thank good," he whispered.

He pressed his lips to mine again, urging my mouth open with his tongue, his hips shifting into mine again. We kissed like that for another few minutes, before he reluctantly placed me back on my feet.

"We should head over to the library," I stated after giving him another chaste kiss.

"I was hoping we could forget about that and go to my place," he said quietly as he sucked gently on my neck.

"Babe, if I wasn't having that time of the month right now, I would totally agree with that, but seeing that I do..." I trailed off.

He dropped his head to my shoulder with a heavy breath.

"I totally forgot about that... So, the library it is."

I chuckled at his dejected expression. I tugged on his arm so we could finally make it to our destination. Edward held open the door for me like a true gentleman and quietly led me by the arm to the stacks.

I stared at the massive amounts of books in awe. I could spend a week in here and never get bored.

"What do you want to do, Bella? Search the stacks for unread gems or try to find some stuff on our families?"

I sighed, torn between the two very interesting options.

"Why don't we take a tour of the stacks first and then try to find our family history?"

"Sounds good to me. Are there sections you want to rule out?"

"Uhm, yeah. I think I can live without the self-help section, how-to books and biographies."

"Great, the cuts out that section entirely," he said gesturing to the wall to my left.

I nodded in understanding before taking his hand and dragging him to the nearest aisle. We wandered though the aisles, scanning the books as we made quiet small-talk. In a few sections I took a little longer, just to take stock of what was there so next time I would be able to find the books I wanted to read a little faster. I felt no need to bring some home tonight, because I knew I wouldn't have the time to read any of them.

I wanted to enjoy my time with Edward and Emma. I would keep the books for when I started working and I needed to relax after a long day. In the past I used books to escape the feeling of loneliness or the memories of Edward that made me sad, but now that he was in my life I refused to believe I would need them for that purpose ever again.

"What are you thinking, love?" he asked softly.

I realized I had been staring at the same book for several minutes and blushed.

"I just remember reading a lot to suppress the memories of you," I confessed. "Sometimes it just hurt to much to think of you and I would curl up in bed with a book to keep my mind occupied."

"I can see why that would work for you. I did it with my music. That's why I learned it so quickly. I spent so many hours behind that piano it would've been nearly impossible not to pick something up."

I smiled warmly at him and nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck. His arms encircled me tightly and I could feel him press a kiss on the top of my head.

"Do you think you're ready to look up our missing family members?"

I chuckled and nodded into his chest. I inhaled his scent once before stepping away from him so he could lead me to the computers that were sitting in the middle of the room.

"Who do you want to start with?" he asked as soon as he found the website he needed.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I guess my mom's family. I know my father was an only child and his parents died before I was born, so I know there's not much to find there. I know virtually nothing about my mother."

"Okay, let's start with that."

"Her name's Andrea Platt."

Edward's eyes flew to mine, his breath got stuck in his throat.

"What?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, why?"

"I think I know who she is."

I furrowed my brow, wanting to know what he mean, but Edward was already furiously typing on the computer.

"Come on, come on.." he muttered as the computer loaded the next screen.

It came up and I watched Edward's eyes fly across the words while a smile slowly lit up his face.

"You are not going to believe this," he whispered as he rested one of his fingers on the screen.

I leaned in to read what he was pointing at and nearly had a heart attack.

**Parents: Christopher Andrew Platt, Esmeralda Platt – Jefferson**

**Children: Esme Platt, Andrea Platt.**

_A/N: So, she finally knows. What did you guys think?_

_Btw: I have a poll up regarding which vampire story I should put up after finishing up with Lost in Twilight, one of my other stories. Please check it out and let me know which one appeals more to your taste._

_A quick thank you to all who added my story to their favourites and alerts, you are amazing as well as those incredible people leaving me reviews, each one warms my heart and makes me want to write more and more and more._

_Mo_

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	24. Chapter 24

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Disclaimer: Characters belong to Mrs. S. Meyer, plotline belongs to me.

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Chapter twenty-four

**Epov**

I watched as Bella slowly reread the words. Esme was here biological aunt. It was the chance of one in a million, but there it was.

"Edward?" she turned to me with glistening eyes.

She looked so fragile right then. I quickly stood so I could take her in my arms. I rocked us both back and forth. She was sobbing into my shirt. Her whole body trembled.

"Bella? Love, are you okay? This is good news, right?" I asked as I pulled back a little so I could tip her head up and look in her eyes.

"I think so," she murmured.

"Esme will be so happy. She never knew whether or not her niece was okay. She'll be thrilled to have you in her life. You are the one thing that she has left of her family. Her parents haven't spoken to her in years and because of that she lost contact with your mom, too."

"She told me a little about that the other day. What I don't get is why she didn't ask me anything when we told them our story. She heard me say that my name was Platt, didn't she?"

"I think at the time she might have missed that. It was a rather heavy story."

"I guess so. I have all the time in the world to ask, right?"

"Right."

Her eyes widened for a moment. "How in the world will I explain this to Emma? Her nanna is also my aunt. She won't understand."

"We'll tell her the details when she can comprehend the complexity. I don't think it matters."

"I have so much questions right now, it is really giving me a head ache. Would you mind calling it a night? I really want to find out more about your family, but right now I have to think about all of this."

"Of course, my love. Do you want me to take you home?"

"If you don't mind I'd really like to spend the night with you. I don't care if it's at your place or at Rose and Em's, but either way I want to sleep in your arms tonight."

"Then I would like to take you home with me. That way you can see my place and tomorrow we can see what to do about the furniture and decoration."

She smiled shyly. "I'd like that."

"Good."

I leaned down to kiss her warm, inviting lips. She relaxed into me as her fingers found their favourite spot in my hair, scratching my scalp lightly. I groaned into her mouth before slowly caressing her bottom lip with my tongue. She opened her mouth to invite me in. I groaned again as her soft tongue met mine.

She pulled away with a loving smile. "Take me home," she murmured,

My heart thundered in my chest with all the love I felt for this remarkable woman. I wanted her forever and it took me a lot of strength not to ask her to marry me right then and there.

I called the librarian who had helped me with this favour to let her know we were going home before wrapping my arm around Bella's waist and guiding her back to my car. As soon as I was on my way home, her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing evened out. She looked so peaceful and happy, it warmed me completely.

When I pulled up at my apartment building I quickly got out and went to Bella's side. I managed to scoop her up in my arms, close the car door and carry her inside. The doorma0, Harry, raised an amused eyebrow as he took us in, but wisely kept his mouth shut. The man was curious to a fault, but he never said anything he shouldn't, which was greatly appreciated by the few high-society member who owned a flat in the building. The apartment weren't all the luxurious, but due to the great security system they were very sought after. I was lucky that Carlisle had bought a few of the flats a coupe of years ago as an investment. I got first pick when he sold them last year.

I walked straight through to my bedroom so I could lay Bella down on the mattress. I realized we hadn't made a stop to pick up clean clothes for Bella. I was looking down at her, internally debating what I should do, when her eyes slowly opened and a smile tugged on her lips.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she whispered groggily.

"I took you home with me, but you don't have any clothes or something to sleep in."

"Don't worry about it. I can wear one of your shirt and a pair of your boxers to sleep in. Tomorrow we'll stop by the apartment so I can change before we pick up Emma from your parent's house."

"Of course. I can't believe I hadn't thought about that."

I headed to my dresser and plucked out an old school t-shirt and a pair of boxers that were too small for me. She was sitting up now, her brow furrowed.

"What's wrong, love?"

"Nothing, I just need my purse."

"Oh, right. I left it in the car. You go change, I'll get it for you."

She got up off the bed and kissed me sweetly as she took my clothes from me. I watched her shut the bathroom door behind her before I hurried back down to the car. When I rushed back in, clutching Bella's purse in my hands, Harry started guffawing.

"Geesh, son. Where's the fire? She's got condoms in that purse?" he laughed.

"Harry, get your mind out of the gutter," I grumbled.

"She is a beauty, by the way."

"She is isn't she?"

"Where did you find her?"

"Believe it or not, I found her years ago in Phoenix. We lost touch after some drama in the foster home we were placed. We just found each other again last Friday. It turned out I've been a daddy little over five years now."

Harry's eyes popped out of his head. "Really?"

"Really. It's crazy, but it just feels right. They're moving in in a few weeks."

"I'd love to see what kind of beauty the two of you produced."

"You'll see our little girl tomorrow," I promised him.

I muttered a goodbye over my shoulder as I took off down the hall. I felt restless without Bella. I needed her in my arms, her lips on mine. Bella was waiting for me at the door and crashed into me as soon as the door closed behind me.

"With the risk of sounding ridiculous, I missed you," she murmured against the skin of my neck.

"I missed you too, baby. It's hard to be away from you now that I have you again."

She sighed contentedly and nuzzled into my neck some more. I scooped her up into my arms and carried her back to the bedroom.

"I love you Isabella Marie Platt, with every fibre of my being. I am never letting you go again."

She giggled quietly, shaking her head, her eyes dancing with love and amusement. I captured her lips with mine in a long closed mouth kiss. When I pulled away so we could both breathe, she started wiggling in my arms.

"I need my purse and a minute in the bathroom, please."

I mentally kicked myself as I put her back to her feet. "Of course, love. I just keep getting lost in you tonight. I'll behave, promise."

"Edward, don't worry about it. I love that you are so emotional tonight. I wouldn't have you any other way."

We eventually snuggled up together in my king sized bed, both of us drifting into a peaceful sleep.

~*~

The following morning I was awoken by the smell of coffee and freshly baked bread. My stomach growled in anticipation. I felt my lips turn up into a smile when I heard the distinct sounds of Bella singing along to the radio. She had a sweet voice, but was a little tone-deaf. It was endearing.

I got up, quickly pulling on a shirt and a pair of jeans and made my way out to the kitchen. Bella was at the stove, her hips swaying back and forth to the beat of the music. Her hair swung around her shoulders as she bobbed her head up and down, continuing to croon the lyrics slightly off pitch.

I cleared my throat, causing Bella to spin around with a startled shriek. She was pressing her hands to her chest.

"Edward! Don't you even do that again! You scared me."

I snickered quietly. A firm smack on my arm stopped my amusement at her expense.

"Sorry, love," I murmured into her ear.

Her breath hitched. "No you don't mister. You are not dazzling your way out of this one. My heart is still pounding in my throat. You better think of something good to make this up to me."

"I will, I promise. Do I still get that delicious smelling breakfast?"

She folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at me. Her head was cocked to the side and she was biting her lip.

Exactly like Emma had last Saturday when I woke up. It was almost like a déjà vu. Except Bella wasn't jumping up and down on my bed. I realized I was grinning like a fool, while Bella was trying to make me squirm and quickly rearranged my features into a sad pout.

"Please, baby can I have some of your wonderfully perfect breakfast."

"Pfft! Edward that look is just ridiculous on you. You should have stopped using that when you were seven!" Her tinkling laugher filled the apartment.

"Sure, sure. Do not tell me it doesn't look at least somewhat adorable."

"Why would I when it's not true? You're a grown man, Edward and to be fair you never used that look on me when we were together and still got what you wanted from me. Why start now?"

"Why are we even discussing this? I was just attempting to make you laugh."

Her mouth formed a perfect 'o' while her cheeks flushed red. I pounced, attacking her sides with my fingers. She was squealing and giggling and thrashing around wildly.

"E-Edwahard! S-stohop!"

"Do you give?"

"Yes! Yes! I give!" she yelled.

I stopped my tickling attack, but kept my hands on her waist.

"I love you," I murmured when she pressed her body closer to mine.

"Love you too."

We had breakfast together while talking quietly about my plans for the apartment. Afterwards I took Bella through the rooms and explained in greater detail what I had thought of during the hours I hadn't seen her this week.

She agreed with most of my ideas and interjected with her own when she didn't. Eventually we had made up a mental plan for the redecoration and we had even discussed a small remodel of the kitchen to make it better equipped for Bella's love for cooking while keeping it safe for our daughter.

When noon approached we took a quick shower and got dressed so we could go see my parents and pick up Emma. Bella was beaming up at me as we walked down the stairs into the main lobby of the building. Harry was on duty again.

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen."

"Morning, Harry. I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Bella Swan. Bella, this is the most trustworthy doorman you will find in Seattle, Harry Johnson."

Bella smiled and shook Harry's outstretched hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Harry. I think we'll be seeing each other more often from now on."

"I'm sure we will," he said with a cheeky grin.

"Right, Bella shall we go get Emma?"

"Of course. See you later Harry."

"You to Ms. Swan."

"Please, just call me Bella."

He nodded, winked and returned to his work, while I guided Bella out the door. I opened the door for her, earning a warm smile. I was smiling to myself as I slid into my own seat, feeling slightly light-headed with the happiness I felt. In the past couple of years I had felt content at times, but never quite this happy, yet I could not find it in me to be afraid of what might happen to disturb our peace.

Normally there would have been a small voice in the back of my head, nagging at me to wait for the inevitable disaster to pull me out of the good place I had found myself in, but even that was lacking.

We drove to my parents house in silence, both of us lost in our own thoughts for the time being. The road is familiar and before I very well know it, I am pulling up onto the long winding drive way to my parents house. Apparently, Emma had been waiting for us, because she came bounding out the door as soon as we stepped out of the car.

"Mommy! Daddy!" she squealed as she hurried down the steps.

Bella practically ran towards her. I chuckled, but soon realized why she did when Emma tripped on her own two feet and came hurtling forward. Bella caught her just in time, lifting her up and spinning her around.

"There's momma's little girl! I missed you."

"I missed you too, mommy. Did you and daddy have fun?"

Bella glanced over her shoulder at me and winked. "Yes we did," I answered before Bella could.

"Good!"

"Did you have fun with Nanna Esme and Grandpa Carlisle?"

"Yes! Grandpa and I built a castle in the playroom!"

"Really, wow that is so cool,"I said, smiling when Emma reached out for me.

Bella handed her over and kissed us both on the cheek.

"Why don't you show us your castle," Bella suggested.

Emme nodded her consent and urged me to go to the playroom. Having no idea which one of the rooms in the house had been converted into a castle, I allowed Bella to guide us down the hallway.

As I stepped inside what used to be the den, I gasped at the transformation it had undergone. With a chuckle I placed Emma on her feet. She immediately tugged on my hand and gave me a tour of her castle. Apparently Carlisle had raided Esme's linen closet for sheets and the cleaning supplies for brooms to make the beams of the huge tent they had managed to put up. The whole thing breathed Arabian nights with nearly all the throw pillows that I imagined were in the house scattered over the floor.

"This is truly a thing of beauty," I told my daughter as I sat down in her little piece of fantasy.

Emma smiled and settled herself in my lap. She placed her small hand on my cheek and looked at me long and hard, her small eyebrow pulled together.

"I love you, daddy," she murmured after a few minutes.

"I love you too, baby girl. Very, very much."

Emma smiled contentedly and settled her head against my chest, her small hands fisted in my shirt. Bella had been watching the whole exchange with a peculiar expression on her face.

"What's the matter, love?" I asked when she sat down in front of me.

She reached out a hand to softly caress Emma's curls.

"I love to watch the two of you together. I can see how much you already love her and how much she loves you. What she did just now, she only does that if she really means it. Emma's wise for her age and seeing her act the way she does around you sometimes makes me regret not trying to find you during my pregnancy or after she was born."

"Please, baby. Don't beat yourself up over it. We found each other. It won't do us any good if we keep looking back on what we could have done. We have to focus on staying together from now on."

"I know. I love you so much I don't think I'd survive if I ever were to go without you again."

"Then promise me you'll stay with me forever. Marry me, Bella. I know it's far too soon, but you have had my heart all this time and it has hurt too much to be without you. I want to wake up next to you every morning. I want to kiss you before I go to bed every night. I want you and our daughter with me as often and as long as I can. Please, Bella. Marry me."

**Emma's pov**

I heard daddy asking mommy to marry him. I wanted her to say yes. Mommy had never been this happy when we still lived in Phoenix. She was so happy now. I wanted her to be happy forever and my daddy was the one who could do that.

I opened my eyes so I could look at my mom. The tears that were forming were scaring me a little. I didn't want mommy to be sad and now she was crying! Stupid, daddy. He was supposed to make her smile and laugh, not cry!

But then, with tears still in her eyes, she started laughing and nodding her head.

"Yes, Edward! Yes, I'll marry you!"

I was crushed between them when daddy pulled mommy closer to him and kissed her on the lips. I smiled and closed my eyes again. I knew daddy could make my mommy happy.

**Epov**

My heart was pounding a mile a minute as I waited for Bella's response, but she quickly put me out of my misery when she accepted my proposal with an resounding yes. I was floating on air as I pulled her in for a kiss. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was aware that our daughter hadn't been sleeping during our exchange, but I decided I might as well let her think she had fooled us.

"I didn't plan any of this, so I don't have a ring yet, but I think I'll ask Emma if she can help me pick one. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea, Edward. Should we wake her up and ask her?" Bella asked with a knowing smirk.

I lifted one hand and held up three fingers. I silently counted off, my other hand and Bella's poised at Emma's ribs. When I reached zero we launched into a tickle attack.

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_A/N: At the request of one of my readers a small Emma's pov. I will write a longer one near the end of the story, but for now we have so much more to deal with first. Next chapter the big discovery regarding Bella's roots will be revealed to Esme and Carlisle._

_Let me know what you think._

_Hugs and kisses to all of you,_

_Mo_

_P.S. I've written a one-shot for the love through lemons contest. Please take your time to read it and let me know what you think of it ;) (As the title of the contest suggests, it's lemontastic, so be warned.)_


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The plotline is completely mine.

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Chapter twenty-five

**Bpov**

While Edward and I were busy tickling Emma, Carlisle came into the make-shift tent and watched us quietly.

"Good afternoon, son. Bella," he said when we had given Emma mercy.

"Good afternoon, dad. How did you and mom fare last night?"

Edward stood to hug his father. "It went perfectly fine. Emma's been an absolute angel. Bella you've done a great job with her."

I smiled. "Thank you, but I promise you she can be a handful at times."

Carlisle waved my comment away and asked us to come with him for lunch. Apparently Esme had pulled out all the stops and was desperate for us to taste what she had whipped up. I hoisted Emma onto my hip and walked after Carlisle and Edward into the kitchen.

The Cullens might own a huge house, but they likes to do things simply when around family. It warmed my heart to know, because that was something I could see myself do if I were in their situation.

"Edward, Bella. So good to see you again," Esme chimed, pulling us both into a warm hug.

"You too, Esme. I heard Emma behaved herself last night."

"That she did. She showed me a side of Carlisle that I have never seen before in my life. Who knew he would be so inventive to build Emma a castle in the middle of our house?"

She kissed Carlisle's cheek lovingly before ushering us all to sit down and dig in. Edward winked at me when conversation dwindled for a moment. I knew he was going to bring up what we had found out last night. My stomach churned. I quietly put down my fork, not wanting to choke on my food when Edward told them.

"Mom, dad. Bella and I discovered something very interesting while we were on our date last night."

Carlisle looked from Edward to me and back, a sceptical look on his face.

"Dad, relax. It's not something embarrassing. We do have a five year old daughter at the table with us."

I laughed nervously. Edward winked again, trying to reassure me it would all be fine, but it did nothing to settle my nerves.

"I took Bella to the library last night after dinner. We spent some time looking through their collection, seeing as Bella is quite the avid reader, and then decided it might be worth our time to find out a little more about our blood-relatives. In case of hereditary diseases and such."

"That does sound like a good idea, son. I take it you two found something interesting?"

"Yes, we did. We discovered that Bella, who's real name is Platt, is in fact Esme's niece."

I sucked in a sharp breath. I wanted to slap him for dropping the bomb just like that, but I couldn't move. I slowly turned my eyes towards Esme, who sat frozen with her mouth agape.

"Esme?" I asked in an attempt to snap her out of it.

"Darling, snap out of it." Carlisle quietly urged, rubbing her shoulders.

Esme's head snapped up and her eyes found mine. She searched my face inch by inch and suddenly broke out in the biggest, goofiest grin I had ever seen.

"You're Andrea's little girl!Oh my god. I never thought I would gt a chance to meet you!"

She was out of her chair and pulling me out of mine in a flash. She hugged me so tight it was hard to breathe, but I refused to spoil her joy by being a baby about it.

"Nice to meet you, aunt Esme," I laughed.

She pulled back and cupped my face in her hands. "If I would've known, Bella. All the times I thought about looking for you, all the times I thought about looking for the girl Edward left behind."

She shot Edward an apologetic look. "I never told you this, but I heard you screaming in your sleep when you first came to live with us. I have always wanted to talk to you about it, but you never let me in far enough to ask and then the dreams stopped and I figured you found a way to deal with it. If only I would've pushed through your walls then."

She shook her head sadly. "Don't blame yourself, Esme," I told her. "When I look at how many roads could have brought us back together and how none of them ever did, I just have to accept that fate meant for us to only meet again when we did. It might not have worked out like this if we would've gotten back together sooner."

"I think Bella is right, Esme. Sometimes we just have to accept that there was nothing that could've changed the events that have passed. Edward and Bella were meant to be together eventually, life just took them the long way round," Carlisle added.

With that said we settled back down in our seats and finished lunch. We didn't really talk much, mostly because we were all still reeling about the revelations. It wasn't until Esme placed dessert on the table that I remembered the other bit of news Edward and I should share with them.

I looked at Edward and delicately pointed to my ring finger. He smirked and motioned for me to go ahead.

"Esme, Carlisle. Edward and I have some other news to share with you."

The both sat up straighter. "Edward asked me to marry him this morning and I said yes."

"Oooohhh! Oh my goodness! Edward! When did you turn into this romantic soul?" Esme gushed, her hands pressed tightly to her chest.

"I always was mom, it just was buried very deep after I lost Bella."

Carlisle came up to hug me. He leaned down to whisper in my ear: "I can see how much he loves you Bella. He'll do anything to make you happy and I am sure that as long as you are together he will be blissful for the rest of his life. Thank you for that."

I felt tears running down my cheeks at the realization how much Carlisle loved Edward as his own son, despite the fact that he had only lived with them for five years. Carlisle released me with a kiss to the top of my head and I was immediately enveloped in Esme's warm embrace.

"Welcome to the family, Bella. We already love you and Emma so much. I couldn't have asked for a better match for Edward."

"Thank you for taking him in when he needed you most," I whispered back.

"Why is everyone hugging and kissing everyone but me?!" Emma suddenly exclaimed.

I quickly pulled her from her high chair and hugged her close to me. "Because we just told grandma and grandpa that mommy and daddy are getting married."

"Oh, right!"

I laughed when she put her head on my shoulder and hummed the wedding march. How on earth she learned that, I would probably never know.

"Are you flying out to Phoenix to tell your parents the news?" Carlisle asked me.

"We haven't really talked about that yet. The moment was right to tell you and I don't want my parents to be the lasts ones to know, but Edward won't be able to leave town until after the competition next Saturday..." I trailed off, looking at Edward.

"I have Friday completely open, so we could fly out as soon as my last rehearsal in Thursday is over and fly back in time for the competition on Saturday afternoon. That way we can tell your parents before Rose and Em get back from their honeymoon and we can tell them and Alice as soon as they get back."

I nodded. "Maybe we should talk to Jasper when we're in Phoenix too."

"That's up to you, love. I don't want you to feel obligated to talk to him. If you feel better telling him over the phone, then we can do just that."

"I'll think it over. It's not Friday, yet."

~*~

Edward and I spent the remainder of the afternoon with Carlisle and Esme, talking about our plans for remodelling and redecorating Edward's apartment, our ideas on what we wanted to do for our wedding and my new job. When it was time for us to leave, Emma was sleeping soundly in my arms. I was pretty worn out myself and looking forward to sinking down into Edward's soft bed.

I wasn't in the car for five minutes when I drifted off to sleep, only to be woken by Edward carrying me up the stairs to his apartment building.

"I can walk," I murmured groggily.

"I like carrying you. Emma's already asleep in my guest room and I'll let you nap a little while longer in my bed. I'll wake you both when it's time for dinner."

I nodded my consent and allowed my eyes to droop again. I didn't even register when Edward put me into bed.

The second time I woke up, Emma was lying in front of me, her face really close to mine, her small fingers playing with my hair. She smiled mischievously as she watched me get my bearings.

"Hi, baby. Did you sleep okay?" I whispered.

"Yes. Daddy is cooking dinner and he's singing," she murmured back.

"Is he? How did you find me?"

"The door was open and I saw you. Is this where we are going to live?"

"Yes, but we need to change some things first. I didn't tell you yet, but Friday you, me and daddy are going to Phoenix to see grandma and grandpa. We are going to tell them that daddy asked me to marry him, but until we told grandma and grandpa you're going to have to keep it a secret. Can you do that?"

She looked very serious. "I'll try, but it's so hard, mommy. I want to tell everybody that my mommy and daddy are getting married."

I laughed quietly as I scooped her up and hugged her close. Suddenly I heard Edward calling out frantically for Emma.

"Edward! She's in here with me." I yelled.

He was in the doorway in a flash, wearing that heart-melting crooked grin.

"Now this is a sight I hope to see a lot from now on," he said, leaning lazily against the doorjamb.

"I could say the same thing." I laughed.

His grin widened as he strode over to the bed and sat down on the edge. He softly stroked Emma's curls, who had now turned to face him.

"Hey, baby," Edward whispered lovingly.

"Hey, daddy. Is dinner ready?"

"Yes, actually it is. Are you girls hungry?"

"I am. Don't know about mommy."

I chuckled. "I am too, so let's get out of bed, shall we?"

Emma nodded and scooted out of the bed. She took Edward's hand and urged him to come with her. I followed them feeling overwhelmed with the love for my family. I seemed to be in a perpetual state of happiness the past couple of days. It was wonderful albeit unusual for me. When I came into the kitchen, my daughter and her father were huddled together, whispering into each other's ear. I cleared my throat, but neither of them acknowledged me.

With a huff I sat myself down onto one of the chairs. Waiting patiently until the two of them were finished with whatever they were discussing, I thought about what it would've been like to have Edward with me during my pregnancy instead of Jasper, Rosalie and Jacob. As that thought ran through my mind I remembered what it was like without him.

_September 1__st__ 2001_

_I woke up nauseated, again. I had been throwing up pretty much every day since I found out I was pregnant. According to the doctor it should only last about another week or so and then I should start feeling a hell of a lot better. I was crossing my fingers he was right about that._

_Monday would be my first day at the new school. I would be attending the same school as my cousins Rosalie and Jasper and Charlie told me there would be another cousin there as well. I hadn't met her yet, but I knew her name was Lauren and according to Charlie she was very popular. I had shrugged it off, I didn't care to be popular._

_Soon enough I wouldn't be able to hide my baby-bump any further and I would be a social outcast. Meeting Rosalie and Jasper had been proof enough of that. Three weeks ago Renee and Charlie had invited Charlie's sister and her husband over. They had taken their kids with them._

_As soon as they had stepped in I had known they heard about my 'situation'. I hated that Charlie and Renee had already dished out that I was pregnant, but there was nothing I could do about it. Aunt Vera and uncle Robert had been friendly enough and so was Jasper, but Rosalie had been as cold as ice from the moment she saw me._

_That particular meeting had not warmed me up to the idea of going to the same school as them, but I hardly had a choice in the matter. It's not like I had anywhere else I wanted to go. _

_I was curious as to whether or not Tyler and Kate were still in my old school, but I was afraid of what might happen if I ever were to face Tanya again. If she ever found out I was pregnant with Edward's child she might become really nasty._

_With a deep sigh of resignation I hoisted myself from the bed in order to hang above the toilet. After my now regular morning routine I made my way downstairs. Charlie was already at work and Renee had left me a note saying she was out for the morning, running a few errands._

"_Great, more time to wallow in my own misery," I muttered as I pulled out a bowl and box of cereal._

_Just as I was about to pour the milk in the bowl, the doorbell rang. I groaned when my stomach objected to the delay in breakfast, but went to open the door. In front of it was a tall, dark skinned boy with shoulder length black hair. He flashed me a dimpled smile that made me feel a little better._

"_Hi! I'm Jacob Black, you must be Bella."_

"_Yeah, I am. Uhm, what are you doing here?"_

"_Oh, right. Sorry. My dad, Billy is a close friend of Charlie. He asked me to stop by to invite you all over to dinner tonight."_

"_I'll ask Renee when she gets home. Do you want to come in for a drink or something?"_

"_No, I'm on my way to work. I'm late enough as it is."_

"_Oh, right. Well, have a good day at work, then."_

"_Tell Renee to call my dad about dinner," he said over his shoulder as he walked back to his car._

**July 29****th**** 2007**

"Bella?" Edward's voice dragged me out of my musings.

"Yeah, sorry I spaced out for a minute."

"It's fine. What were you thinking of?"

"Being pregnant. I'll tell you more about it later tonight when Emma's in bed."

"I'm going to hold you to that. You ready for dinner?"

I nodded as he placed a plate in front of me. Dinner was a quiet affair, but not uncomfortably so. Edward's cooking skills were far better than I had given him credit for and I told him so. He simply laughed at my assessment.

After dinner Emma watched tv with us for about an hour before Edward got her ready for bed. I basked in the idea of having him to share the responsibility with. He came back and sat down beside me with a big grin on his face.

"What?" I asked him.

"Emma gave her approval of the ring I have for you."

"You have a ring?"

I was a little astounded. He had not left my side since he asked me to marry him early this afternoon, so when would he have gotten a ring. I didn't have time to ask him, though, because he was on one knee in front of me with a velvet box sitting in his palm.

"Bella, this afternoon I asked you to marry me in a moment of overwhelming emotions. I ask you again now, with my head, heart and soul all in it. Bella will you be my wife?"

"Of course I will."

I was crying again. It didn't matter that this was the second time he asked me, my heart still hammered in my chest and my eyes still filled with tears.

His radiating smile made him look so adorable, I couldn't resist, I just had to kiss him. His mouth met mine just as eagerly. We kissed for several minutes before Edward remembered that he was still holding on to the ring.

He pulled away and opened the box to reveal a white gold ring with a oval shaped sapphire. It looked like and antique and it was almost like it was made especially for me.

"Edward, it's perfect," I breathed.

"It was my mother's engagement ring. I inherited it when she passed away. I've kept it hidden in one of my favourite books since I was placed into foster care."

He took it out and gently placed it on my finger. It was a perfect fit.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter will be another Bella's pov. She'll tell Edward about her pregnancy and the birth of Emma. After that we will dive a bit more into Edward's past.

I hope you all still enjoy the way things are going. There will be more Emma interaction after the chapter on Edward's past and we'll finally find out what Bella's parents and Rosalie and Emmett think of the recent developments. I am aiming to have the next chapter up on the 12th at the latest.

BTW: Please check out my poll with regards to my next vampire endeavour.

Thanks again for reading.

Hugs, Mo


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, the plotline is all mine.

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Chapter twenty-six

**Bpov**

**July 29****th**** 2007**

Edward sat back down beside me on the couch, pulling me onto his lap and nuzzling his face in the crook of my neck.

"It looks perfect on you. You don't know how happy it makes me that you're wearing it," he murmured in a husky voice.

I smiled and closed my eyes. "I'm happy to wear it, Edward. You don't know how many times I have wished fr exactly this moment while I was pregnant."

"Tell me about it. I want to know how those months were for you. How raising Emma alone has been."

I turned my head to look at him, finding his lips close to mine. I bent down to kiss him, letting myself feel what I had right now, before diving back into the loneliest time of my life. I started off by telling him what I'd been thinking about earlier, my first meeting with Jacob.

_**September 1**__**st**__** 2001**_

_Renee came home after I finished my breakfast and shower._

"_Morning, Bella. How are you feeling today?"_

"_I'm okay. Still throwing up and that's not really something to look forward to when school starts."_

"_It'll be fine, honey. You should be over the morning sickness soon enough."_

_I smiled faintly, picking up the book I wanted to read and heading outside. There was a big tree in the backyard that provided ample shade and Charlie had, as per my request, put a lounge chair underneath. I loved that chair and that tree. They were my refuge when I was feeling lonely._

_Under that tree, I could think about Edward and not feel only pain and sorrow. There I could remember the months we were happy. I could remember the way his kisses felt without breaking down in tears, the way he held me when we were home alone without falling into a depression. That tree was my safe haven._

_I was about to sit down when I remembered the boy that had been over earlier to invite us to dinner. I tossed my book on the chair and went back in the house._

"_Renee?" I called, not sure where she was._

"_In the laundry room!" she called out._

_I frowned. Renee wasn't much of a housewife, so her being in the laundry room was highly unusual._

"_Hey, what are you doing in here?"_

"_I was looking for the keys to Mrs. Humber's house. I need to feed her cat and I think the keys are still in my jeans I wore yesterday," she explained, while digging through the dirty laundry._

"_Those jeans are still in your bedroom. I wanted to take them downstairs last night but you said something about wearing them in the garden."_

_Renee slapped her forehead, grinning and was about to take off for the bedroom, when I put my hand on her arm to stop her._

"_Renee, earlier there was a boy at the door. I think his name was Jacob. His dad invited us over for dinner tonight, you're supposed to call whether or not we're coming."_

"_Ah, that means Billy and Jacob are back. They were visiting friends in Washington state on some small Indian reservation. You'll like Jacob. He's a real sweetheart, takes good care of his dad too. I'll go call him right now."_

_I laughed at her jumbled concentration, reminded her to feed Mrs. Humber's cat and went back outside to my book. Talking to Renee was a way for me to forget about my own misery for a while. She was easily excitable about anything and everything, but she just as easily gave it up for something new. In the short time I had lived with them, I had seen her go through more hobbies than the average person would have in a lifetime._

_It did provide me with ways to learn about new things, because she occasionally dragged me along to one of her classes. That way I learned how to use the sowing machine. When Renee stopped with the classes, I continued. I wanted to make the curtains and bedding for my baby. Something that was personal and made with love and devotion. My baby would know how much her mommy loved him or her._

_I absentmindedly rubbed my belly. My stomach was still flat, but I already loved the little person that was growing inside of me more than my own life. I would give anything for it to be safe and loved. I would raise him or her on my own, but I would make sure they knew exactly who their father was and how much we loved each other._

_I felt a tear roll down my cheek when I sat down on my chair. Taking a deep breath I allowed myself to feel how much I missed Edward, how much I missed his touch, his kisses, his arms around me, his voice in my ear. I missed him so much it made my chest ache like it was falling apart into a million pieces. Hugging my torso to keep myself from falling apart, I cried for him, for us and for my baby._

_Renee left me alone, having learned that during a crying jag I wasn't exactly open to comforting arms and loving reassurance. But when my tears eventually dried, she came out with a pitcher of lemonade and pulled out a chair to sit beside me._

"_Hey, sweetie, you okay?"_

"_Yeah. Just remembering him, you know."_

_She smiled sadly and wordlessly handed me a glass of lemonade. We sat in silence for a while, both lost in our own thoughts, enjoying the warm weather._

"_Bells?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_Will you be okay to go to school on Monday? It's not too late to change your mind about the home-schooling bit."_

"_No, I'll be fine. I know my work load will be heavy if I want to take more time off after the baby is born, but I'm smart, I can handle it."_

"_If you're sure then that's all I need to know. We will help you in anyway we can, sweetie."_

"_I know Renee, I know."_

"_Oh, before I forget, we're going to the Black's at six thirty," she said getting up to go back into the house._

"_I'll be ready," I murmured._

_She left the pitcher with my and dragged the chair back onto the porch. Watching Renee hoist the chair up the steps was rather amusing. I tried not to laugh though, because if it were me it would look far worse._

_I spent the remainder of my day in the garden reading. I allowed my eyes to drift closed whenever my body demanded and only went inside to get myself some lunch or for a bathroom-break._

_That night we went over to the Black's house. It was clear to me why Renee had mentioned that Jacob took care of his father from the moment he opened the door. Billy Black was confined to a wheelchair and although he was quite agile in manoeuvring himself around the house, there were some places he would never reach without help._

_Both Billy and Jacob were very friendly and welcoming, but despite that, I still felt a little out of place with them. Maybe it had something to do with the way Jacob looked at me and his father kept shooting Charlie knowing looks. When we got home I confronted Charlie about it._

"_What was up with Billy looking at you like you knew something me and Renee didn't?"_

_Charlie chuckled, shaking his head. "Apparently Jacob was quite taken with you when he met you this morning. Billy called me at work to tell me Jacob was talking his head off about us coming over when he came home from work."_

"_Did you tell Billy I wouldn't be interested?"_

"_I did, but he insisted you would change your mind after spending more time with Jacob. Billy seems to think he is a good match-maker since he introduced one if his friends to his wife. It doesn't matter that none of the other matches he has made since didn't work out."_

_Despite my unease with the situation I laughed at this._

"_Don't worry about it, Bells. Jacob is a good kid and as soon as he finds out that you aren't interested, he'll leave you alone."_

_I grimaced, but dropped the subject. I was too tired to focus on anything but sleeping, so I excused myself, went through my evening routine and crashed into my bed. The last thought I had before falling asleep was of Edward's crooked smile and his hand on my belly, where the baby was._

_Sunday was spent much like Saturday. Then came Monday. The first day at my new school. A new school with Rosalie and Jasper. I groaned as I woke up that morning. I had set my alarm clock extra early so I could get my morning sickness out of the way before I went to school._

_When I climbed into my beat-up old truck, I felt my stomach tie up in knots due to the tension I felt. Charlie had told my this morning that Jasper would show me around in school if I wanted. Charlie had looked so eager, that I simply agreed to keep him happy. I wasn't too sure about it, though._

_I pulled up at school after a ten minute drive. Taking a moment to steel my nerves and control my nausea I laid my head back against the seat and took a few deep, steadying breaths. A knock at my window, made me jump. I whirled around in my seat and was met with the eager face of Jacob Black._

"_Hey, Jacob," I said as I opened the door and slid out of the cab._

"_Morning, Bella! I didn't know you would be in the same school as me."_

"_I didn't know either."_

"_Let me show you the office so you can get your stuff, okay?"_

"_Sure, thanks."_

_He gently took my arm to lead me to the office. We only got about three feet when Jasper stopped us._

"_Jacob," he muttered as a greeting, keeping his eyes trained on where Jacob's hand was on my elbow._

"_Jasper." Jacob answering greeting was just as terse._

"_I'll take it from here."_

_My eyes widened at the display of caveman behaviour. I pulled my arm from Jacob's grip and stomped past them. They obviously didn't like each other and I was not about to stand there and watch them bicker about who got to show me around school. I was perfectly capable of showing myself around._

_Jasper came running up behind me. "Bella, wait up!"_

_I whirled around, a scowl still fixed on my face. "Listen up, Jasper. I can take perfectly good care of myself and I do not like it one bit that you and Jacob seemed to think you need to fight over me, or something to that extent. I'll see you around, but right now I need to do this on my own."_

_He stared after me, dumbfounded, as I once again walked away from him._

_Later that day, in English, Jasper apologized for his behaviour and explained that he and Jacob were the two candidates for pitcher in the baseball team and their competitiveness tended to come out in other places than just the field as well._

"_Fine, but do not think you can fight over me like I'm some sort of possession. I am my own person and just so we're clear, I have no interest in anyone as my boyfriend. I haven't forgotten the father of my baby and I most likely never will."_

_Jasper seemed taken aback by my last statement, but I couldn't care less. It was the truth and the sooner he realized that, the better we would get along. _

_My little rant had been overheard by one of the girls in class and by the time lunch rolled around the entire school knew I was pregnant. In the lunch room I was approached by a girl I didn't know._

"_Hi! I'm Lauren Mallory. Apparently you and I are cousins?"_

"_Eh. If you say so."_

_She sneered at me, flipping her blond hair over her shoulder. "I just wanted to warn you to stay away from me. I can not be associated with a slut like you."_

_My mouth fell open as I watched her retreating form. Jasper was at my side next._

"_Don't worry about Lauren. She's pretty vile and she cares for no one but herself."_

"_Thanks, I guess. But why did she call me a slut?"_

"_Someone overheard you say you were pregnant when we were talking. It appears that the whole school already knows."_

_I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Rosalie yanking me out of the cafeteria._

"_How can you do that?" she hissed menacingly._

"_Do what?"_

"_You know exactly what I am talking about!"_

"_No, Rosalie I don't! Enlighten me, since everyone in this school seems to think they know me without even talking to me!"_

"_You are giving the baby up after birth! Jessica told me she heard you say that to Jasper! Apparently it doesn't do your dating potential any good. How could you just give up on your own child!"_

"_Rosalie, shut up! I never said anything of the sort. I love my child with every ounce of my being and I will not give up the only thing I have left of it's father. I never planned on being a mom this young, but I will not give the baby up. I have been in enough foster and group homes to never want to do that to any child of mine."_

_I shuddered at the thought, momentarily forgetting Rosalie was still standing in front of me. Her quiet tears registered a little later._

"_Rose? Are you okay?"_

"_Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry. I never meant to be such a bitch. If I had known you were keeping the baby I wouldn't have said those things."_

"_It's fine. Can we just agree to try to be friends, because I already found out I am in desperate need of some friends around here."_

"_Of course. I will kick anyone's ass who dares speak shit about you."_

_With that Rosalie and I made our pact. She would prove to be the best friend to have on my side when my pregnancy got more visible and people in school started to think it necessary to taunt me. Rose defended me tooth and nail every chance she got, while I was there to keep her temper in line._

_The following week I had my first ultrasound. Renee and Rosalie were coming with me and taking me out shopping later for the furniture I needed for the baby-room. The first glance of my baby was far more emotional than I ever expected. I was crying freely as I watched the small heart thump away. I silently prayed that Edward would one day see his child._

_My second trimester came with one big relief, I got rid of my morning sickness. The months glided by rather uneventful. I enjoyed my growing stomach far more that I had originally thought I would. Every night before going to bed I talked to my belly. I told the baby about meeting Edward, falling in love with him and how much he would love him or her if he would ever see us again._

_My pregnancy went as it was supposed to and thankfully without any complications. Somewhere during my sixth month I had gotten so sick of Jacob's insistent begging for a date that I begrudgingly agreed to going out with him._

_It proved to be a real disaster. I was ready to give up on dating him altogether, but he insisted on a second chance. The second date was even more awkward than the first and at the end of the night we mutually agreed that we were better suited as friends._

_**February 14**__**th**__** 2002**_

_I had been dreaming about Edward and our first kiss, which had been a year ago today, when I was awoken by a sharp pain shooting through my lower body. Startled I sat up in bed and flicked the light on. I glanced at the alarm clock, noting it read 3AM. I tried to get up, but another contracting pain stopped my movement. When I finally did manage to hoist my heavy body from the bed, my water broke and the liquid quickly rushed down my legs._

"_Mom! Dad!" I yelled in a slight panic._

_It was the first time I called them that, but in that moment I didn't even think about it._

_The door to my room burst open, showing a very groggy and disoriented Charlie._

"_Bells? What's wrong?"_

"_I'm in labour. My water broke a minute ago."_

"_Go take a shower, I'll wake Renee to help you dress and then I'll call the hospital that we're coming."_

_I nodded and went into the bathroom in a daze. The hot water did wonders when my next contraction hit, making it very hard for me to step out of the shower so I could make it to the hospital, but I knew I needed to in order to deliver my baby safely._

_We managed to get to the hospital half an hour later. My normal doctor wasn't available so I was left with a woman I had never seen before. Her name was Heidi and she looked more like a model than a doctor._

"_Bella, I need you to relax so I can check how far along you are and if we still have time for an epidural. Can you bend your knees for me?" she asked in a lilting voice._

_I nodded, raising my knees to give her better access. I had to fight to stay relaxed when her fingers moved around to feel for my progress._

"_Bella, I have good and bad news. The good news is that it won't be long before you can push to deliver your baby. The bad news is that you are to far along to have use for an epidural. You're going to have to do it without one."_

_In that minute another contraction hit, this one was far stronger and more painful than the previous ones. I cursed my way through it, no longer caring what anyone thought of me, I just wanted it to be over._

_Fifteen minutes later I was ready to give birth. Heidi's calm gentle voice talked me through the contractions, when to push and when to breathe and after pushing for little under an hour, my baby was lying on my chest. She had beautiful auburn coloured curls and the brief glance I had gotten of her eyes had proven to me that she had gotten her daddy's green orbs. I had never felt this happy in my life, even the absence of her father wasn't enough to cloud this perfect moment._

"_What's her name?" one of the nurses asked as she took her to clean her up._

"_Emma Sophia Swan," I murmured, my eyes still glued to my beautiful daughter._

* * *

A/N: So here it is, the new chapter. I originally planned to tell more details of Bella's pregnancy, but as I was writing the characters sort of took ove. In the end I am happy they did, because to me it is omportant to explain how Bella and Rosalie found their way to become friends. It's going to be important for future chapters.

I found a few mistaked in the consistency of my story and made some small revisions in the first two chapters to clear those up. If you're curious check them out, but I promise the changes are minimal.

Please let me know what you think.

I'm going on holiday from the 18th of July til the 1st of August, so I won't be able to updat for a while. I hope I can get one more chapter out before we leave, but I'm not making any promises.

Hugs and kisses to you all,

Mo


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters. I only thought up the plotline.

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Chapter twenty-seven

**Epov**

**July 29****th**** 2007**

Listening to Bella talk about her pregnancy was bitter-sweet to me. I longed to know all about those nine months of her life, just like I longed to hear whatever happened after that, but knowing she went through that without me overwhelmed me with guilt and a sense of loss.

I didn't even realize I was crying until Bella gently wiped my tears away.

"It's okay, baby," she whispered, her own eyes shining with tears that threatened to spill over.

It was enough to crack me completely. I wrapped my arms tightly around her back, burying my face in her shoulder and allowing myself to cry.

I cried for the past couple of years when I felt like me heart had been ripped from my chest. For every minute that Bella had battled through without me. For every moment I missed in my daughter's life.

Bella tenderly ran her fingers through my hair while her own tears spilled onto my shoulder. I, in turn, rubbed slow circles on her back. After a long time of comforting each other, Bella pulled away to look at me.

"We have been lost without you, but Emma and I will never ever leave you again. I promised you, as long a you want us, we're here."

"I'll want you forever," I murmured before capturing her lips in a soft kiss.

She slid her fingers into my hair with a groan. Her lips parted and her tongue softly caressed my bottom lip and the my upper. I sighed in contentment and allowed her access into my mouth for a deeper kiss.

After a few minutes Bella pulled back. "Edward will you do something for me?"

"Of course."

"Will you tell me how it was for you after the Cullens adopted you? Esme told me some, but I rather hear about it from you."

I breathed deeply, shifting her off my lap and tucking her into my side.

"Okay, I'm not sure you'll like what I'm about to tell you..."

I trailed off, because I didn't really want to tell her about all of my experiences.

"Please, Edward. If I can't handle it, I'll stop you okay?"

I nodded slowly before reluctantly starting to tell her about my time without her.

_**September 2001**_

_I was plagued by nightmares of Bella when I first moved in with the Cullens. In every dream she would be in my arms one moment and being torn away from me the next. It was always James or Aro or one of the policemen who came to our rescue that morning, that pulled her away from me._

_I would run after them, screaming, begging for them to let her go to give her back to me. I would cry and that would cloud my vision so much I couldn't see where they were headed, but I would keep running until I couldn't breathe and then all of a sudden they would be gone. I would search and search but they would be nowhere in sight._

_The first couple of nights I woke up screaming, still reaching out for her, but after a few nights I would drift off towards less painful dreams. It was exhausting, but every morning I pulled myself out of bed for Esme and Carlisle who tried to do whatever they could to make me feel at home with them._

_It worked until they told me we would move to Seattle. I had never felt so betrayed in my life. I walked out on them, intending fully to find Bella and run away together. I found several addresses of homes. I took the bus around the city, but none of the homes I visited was the one where they had taken Bella._

_After the fourth home, I felt desperate. I had to see her. I had to feel her in my arms again. I walked down the streets aimlessly for a little while until I found myself standing in front of James and Victoria's house._

_The house was empty, but I saw the entire year I spent with Bella. The first day we met, the first time I admitted to myself I had feelings for her. That first afternoon we spent together on the couch and our first kiss._

_I sat on the front lawn on my knees and realized I had nowhere to go. There was no way I would find Bella in a city this size. I cried for over an hour before I got up and said goodbye to her._

_As I walked back home, I wrote a mental letter to her, apologizing for losing her, for giving up on finding her. I promised I would always love her and I vowed to her and myself I would never ever date anyone who looked remotely like her._

_The nightmares stayed, but they were fuzzier around the edges. After we moved to Seattle they disappeared altogether. They were replaced by other ones, though. I dreamed I did find her again, but instead I found her in some guys arms and she would look at me like she'd never seen me before._

_I'd step up to talk to her, but she would look straight through me. I would talk to her, but she would just shake her head sadly and walk away. Right before she'd disappear she'd look over her shoulder and say: "I'm sorry, Edward, but you're the one that gave up on me."_

_The dreams made me edgy. I tried to keep to myself, but a few weeks after school started Tanya and her sisters all of a sudden showed up at our school. They had moved to our district. I thought it was suspicious, but I tried desperately to stay away from them to protect my still bleeding heart._

_It was not even a full two weeks later when Tanya started the first rumours about me and her sleeping together. Girls who were jealous of her did the same thing and before I very well knew it I had a reputation of a player. _

_Guys got jealous or angry with me over nothing and I got pulled into more and more fights. Emmett tried to get my mind off of stuff by taking me out to parties every weekend and getting me drunk._

_I knew I was messing my own future up. I knew that I was risking the good home I had with Esme and Carlisle, but somewhere deep down I wanted to screw it all up. I didn't deserve to have anything this good as long as I had no idea if Bella had found a decent home and was safe and sound._

_One night I got particularly drunk and smashed my car. It, understandably, was the last straw for Carlisle and Esme. I got grounded and took it as a wake-up call to shape my act up. I focused on my school work and started playing the piano, which I hadn't done since I was a little kid._

_A couple of weeks after my punishment I sat at lunch with Alice and Emmett, when Kate hesitantly came up to me._

"_Edward, can I talk to you for a minute?"_

"_What is it, Kate?"_

"_I know Tanya was bad in Phoenix and she's gotten even worse after she asked daddy to move us out here. I just wanted to say how sorry I am about all of it."_

"_Did she ask your dad specifically to move you guys here?"_

"_Yeah, I overheard them."_

_I jumped out of my seat and pulled her with me out into the hallway. "Kate, why did Tanya want to move here?"_

"_I'm not sure. Nobody ever tells me anything, that hasn't changed," she snorted indignantly._

"_I'm sorry about that Kate. Did you ever see Bella again?"_

"_No. It was strange. You two were gone out of the blue, but Tanya was never really surprised. I later heard your foster-dad was arrested for assault. He had apparently beat his wife into the hospital. We moved two months later. You don't know where she is?"_

"_No, I don't. We got placed back into our old homes. I have no idea where she was before she moved in with the Hunters."_

"_I'm so sorry, Edward. I know you two were crazy about each other. It must really kill you."_

"_Thanks, Kate, but would you mind keeping it to yourself? I never talked about it to anyone and I really don't want to start now."_

"_Okay, if that's what you want."_

_I nodded and made my way back to my table. I hadn't been sitting for three minutes, when Tanya sauntered up to me._

"_Hey, Eddie. I always meant to ask you. Did you ever hear from that little slut Bella?"_

_I lost it completely. I yelled at her, making an incredible scene for the entire school to witness. I nearly punched her lights out too if Emmett hadn't stopped me._

_My stomach was tight for the rest of the day. The mention of Bella's name so casually ad ripped open every fracture and tear in my heart, making it bleed like I had only lost her the day before._

_I focused more on my music after school. I played only dark and gloomy music, but at least I played again. Esme asked me if I wanted to take lessons and I took the offer gratefully. The rumours about me lessened a little, which was a relief to both me and Esme, who thankfully hadn't believed much of the lies that were spread around me._

_I finished out my year and was told I could finish early of I took some extra classes at the start of the new year. I accepted the offer without discussing it with Esme and Carlisle. I figured they would support the decision, since it was a smart thing to do._

_That summer Emmett moved out the campus at UW and I helped him set up his dorm room. During one of the trips up there I met a girl. We got to talking and we ended up making out for a while. She wanted to see me again and I went back a couple of times over the summer break._

_One day I was at her dorm room with her and she asked when I was going to take her out on a real date._

"_Listen, Lilly. I don't date. I'm sorry if I gave you that impression, but I don't. If you're looking for that you need to find someone else."_

"_Christ, Edward. Are you for real?"_

"_I'm just telling you the truth. It was fun while it lasted. Good luck in school, Lilly."_

_I never went back, despite her multiple calls and e-mails. When I went back to school I met a new girl named Becky._

_I told her up front honestly that I wasn't looking for anything more than a physical relationship and she happily went along with it. We only went to third base a couple of times before she started to get clingy. She wanted to have sex and she wanted to have a real relationship. I didn't so I broke things off._

_When she eventually showed up at my doorstep and dragged Esme into it, I had had enough with girls. I stopped going out completely and refocused my attention on my music and my school work to graduate early._

_My choice of major was reason for a big fight with Carlisle. It made me feel so incredibly guilty that I almost gave into his demands of taking pre-med. Esme was the one to talk me out of giving in._

_She came up to my room the night after my fight with Carlisle._

"_Listen, Edward, I need you to know that you can choose your own major. Do not give into Carlisle, just because he's stubborn about it. He'll see your point, just give him time. Just don't give up on your dream, okay? It's worth fighting for."_

_I nodded slowly, but was still intending on going to Carlisle and telling him I would do pre-med. Fortunately for me he took the decision out of my hands the next day by telling me he was being stubborn and telling me he would support me whatever I chose. We settled on me majoring in music with a minor in Biology so I could switch to pre-med if music wasn't what I wanted or expected of it._

_When I finally moved out to UW, Emmett got into some serious trouble with his girlfriend, Zafrina. I had looked forward to going to college with him, but he transferred to Phoenix of all places._

_I didn't date again until I met a girl, Nina, who was very clear about only wanting a physical relationship with me. Things went great for a few weeks and she even came home with me over the holidays. I only did it, because Emmett was taking his new girlfriend home and I didn't want to look like a loser in his eyes._

_It was a pathetic reason I know, but that's how I thought back then. Meeting Rosalie was not exactly something I wanted to relive because it was far too humiliating to be found naked during a first meeting. Rosalie hardly ever spoke to me again during that trip. I did talk to Emmett a lot, though and it was pretty clear to me that he truly loved her._

"_You're in love with her, aren't you?" I asked him during a game of one on one._

"_Yeah, I really do. She's great and she had a really cool brother, too. We became instant friends when we met, which was a real relief you know. Too bad he's pining for Izzie and she doesn't even know it yet."_

"_Izzie?"_

"_Rosie's cousin. She's a year younger than you and she just started her freshman year."_

"_Wow, that's pretty young isn't it?"_

"_Yeah, but she has a little girl that she has to take care of and she really wants to finish her education early so she can take care of her on her own as soon as possible. She's a fighter that one."_

_I stared ahead with unseeing eyes for a moment. I had never thought about it, but Bella and I hadn't used a condom that night. What if she had gotten pregnant? What would have happened then? I shivered at the nauseating thoughts that occurred to me and quickly shoved them off._

_We continued our game and didn't talk about this Izzie or Rosalie and her brother again._

_Nina met someone else a week into the new ear and we parted as friends. We hung out a few times afterwards, but when her relationship with her new guy got pretty serious he didn't want her hanging out with me anymore. I let her go without a second thought._

_My dates were few and far in between. I pretty much only went looking for a girl when I felt the need to distract me from the pressure of my studies. I went on several dates that resulted into absolutely nothing, but some resulted into more, but none of the girls ever got close to me. I simply didn't allow them to._

_I didn't really run into too much trouble with any of he girls, until I started things with Jane. The complications with my professor was enough for me to stay away from any girls or women until I finished my college education, earlier than scheduled._

_Just before I started my last year at UW, Emmett and Rosalie moved back to Seattle for Emmett's new job. I helped with their new apartment a few days, but was unable to help them move in, because I had already planned a short trip to San Francisco with one of my classmates._

_It was nice to have Emmett close to home again, though. Rosalie and I never really hit it off, but as time went on we managed to become tolerant towards each other._

_After I graduated, I was lucky enough to find a job with West High almost immediately. I was going to be a music teacher, something I had wanted when I started college and I couldn't be happier with achieving my goal._

_As soon as I got the call from the principal about my new job, I drove home to tell my parents about it._

"_Mom, dad! You home?!" I yelled as soon as I walked through the back door. Rosalie and Emmett were in the kitchen, but no parents._

"_Hey, guys. Where are Carlisle and Esme?" I asked cheerily._

"_They're upstairs getting ready to g to lunch with us. Why?" Emmett asked, looking at me curiously._

"_I got a job at West High," I said excitedly. _

_Mom and dad had just walked in as I said it, so I was quickly engulfed in multiple hugs to congratulate me. I left quickly after when they went to lunch. Later that day I heard that Rose and Emmett had gotten engaged._

_My first year teaching I didn't really do much more than work and hang out with my family. I had one really stupid drunk night with a woman that worked at the club I frequented. It went so badly I never even went back to the club after that._

**July 29****th**** 2007**

"So that's pretty much it," I murmured.

"Edward, don't look so worried. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I am not leaving you, no matter what is in your past. I love you far too much to let you go, baby."

"Bella, you are far too good for me."

"And don't you forget it as soon as we have to face our family members with the news of your proposal."

I groaned at the reminder and quickly buried my face in her neck. "Don't remind me, baby."

We kissed slowly, lovingly. Simply enjoying the fact that we could hold each other again. Bella pulled away and looked at me with a strange glint in her eye.

"I love you and no matter what any of my family members say, you and I are getting married, okay?"

I laughed. "Don't worry about it. I'll keep it in my mind and my heart."

~*~

Thursday came far too soon. I had taken Bella car shopping on monday afternoon and we had gotten a great deal on a decent family car. We had made plans with Emma for the redecorating of my apartment and before we very well knew it, Thursday afternoon had arrived and we were waiting to board the plane.

"Edward, can you watch Emma for a minute? I need to go to the bathroom."

"Of course, darling. Hurry back to me?"

She laughed, kissed me and hurried off to the bathroom. Emma quickly crawled into my lap and buried her face into my chest.

"I love you, daddy," she whispered quietly.

I kissed the op of her head. "I love you too, baby girl, very much," I croaked hoarsely.

* * *

_A/N: I'm back from holiday, so here's a new chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. The big reveal with Bella's parents is coming. I hope you all will stick with me for it._

_Thank you all for reading and reviewing._


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters, I merely thought up the plotline.

* * *

**

Chapter twenty-eight

**Bpov**

When I emerged from the bathroom I found Emma asleep and Edward staring off into space while he was absentmindedly playing with a strand of her hair. He looked like he was deep in thought, so I took the opportunity to look at him a little while.

My heart still spluttered wildly every time he smiled at me and he could still make me weak in the knees whenever he touched me, even after six years. It amazed me, bit then again, I was amazed a lot these past two weeks. Most of all I was impressed with how naturally Edward had taken to caring for Emma. I could tell he loved her so much already.

For a fleeting moment I was terrified of what the universe might throw our way to tear us apart again, but then I breathed in deeply and let those irrational fears go. Things worked themselves out no matter how depressed I had been about my future a few years back. We were together again, happy again.

_**February 20**__**th**__** 2003**_

_I sat down next to Renee after putting Emma to bed. Charlie was working another night shift and Renee had ordered me to take a night off tonight, but I really didn't feel like it._

"_Bella, I think we need to talk for a bit."_

_I frowned a little. "What about?"_

"_Your refusal to let me and Charlie help more with Emma now that you're work load in school has gotten heavier."_

"_Renee, I already told you that I need to do this for myself. I want to be able to take care of her on my own as much as I can. I'd have to do it in a few years anyway."_

"_Bella, honey, we want to help. You can do it on your own, but you don't have to. Why not take some more time for your schoolwork and let us worry about Emma two nights a week?"_

_I sighed. The fatigue hit me like a truck at that moment and I suddenly was so sick of fighting with her about this._

"_Fine. Two nights a week," I muttered, closing my eyes in defeat._

"_And at least one night a month during the weekend where you spend time with just your friends. You go out to the movies or hang out at someone else's place, anywhere but at home."_

_My eyes flew open. "Renee! I'd feel like I was completely shirking my responsibilities if I were to accept that offer."_

"_Bella, everyone needs some time away from every day life every once in a while. You are only seventeen and you need to enjoy your youth while you can. It's been tough enough on you already. Emma will not think any less of you if you take a breather one night a week. Honey, you are working so hard to graduate early, without a little downtime you are going to crash and burn."_

_I stared at the TV without seeing anything, thinking about what Renee just said. It's true that lately I had more trouble getting out of bed in the morning and the time I spent with Emma was starting to feel like an obligation, which in turn made me sick with guilt. It was a downward spiral and maybe, just maybe I needed to let some of my control go and just let it happen._

**July 26****th**** 2007**

Edward called my name, bringing me out of my musings. I smiled and sat down beside him.

"Are you okay, love?"

"Yes, just remembering some less than pleasant things."

"Like what?"

I shrugged. "When Emma was just born I tried to do everything on my own, you know. I wanted to prove to everyone I could handle it. I took extra classes so I could graduate early. It started to get too much just after Emma turned one. Renee and Charlie kept offering their help until I finally gave in. You wouldn't believe how guilty I felt those first few months."

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, kissing my temple lightly. "I understand how you felt, but I think your parents did the right thing back then."

"I know. It's just that I sometimes remember stuff like that and, depending on my mood, it can still affect me. I'm nervous and a little tired and it's getting to me."

"You can take a nap on the plane," he tried to reassure me.

I simply nodded and laid my head on his shoulder with a contented sigh. About ten minutes later we were called to board and sooner than I would have expected the plane was taking off.

Once we could loosen our seatbelts, Edward took Emma in his lap and told me to get some rest. Despite knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep, I closed my eyes and tried to focus on peaceful thoughts.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think mommy's sleeping?"

I tried to keep from smiling, but hearing Edward's chuckle I realized I must not have done a very good job.

"I think so, why?"

"Just because."

It was quiet for another few minutes, until Emma once again broke it timidly.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, baby?"

"When you and mommy get married, can I be mommy's maid of honour?"

Edward chuckled softly. "I don't know, sweetie. I think you should ask mommy, but I think she would love that. You'd have to do a lot though, so maybe your aunt Rose can help with that."

"I'd like that. Do you think aunt Rose would want to help me?"

"I think so, yes."

"Uncle Emmett is your brother, right?"

"Yes, he is."

"But he's already my uncle, is he now my uncle twice?"

I almost laughed, but remembered that I was supposed to sleep just in time.

"No, honey, but he will always be your uncle, no matter what happens."

"Oh, like uncle Jasper?"

"Yes, like uncle Jasper."

"And you will always be my daddy?"

"Of course, baby. I will be your daddy for all of eternity."

I peeked through my lashes to find my little girl burying her face in her father's chest, while Edward was quietly crying into her hair. He rocked her back and forth while softly humming a tune I never heard before.

"When can we play the piano again, daddy?" Emma asked a while later.

"We can play on Sunday."

"Kay."

"Go to sleep, sweetie. You look tired."

A small yawn escaped her and soon I heard her quiet little snores. I slowly opened my eyes, finding Edward looking at me with an arched eyebrow.

"Do you always eavesdrop on our daughter's conversations?"

"No. I just wasn't sleeping and you knew it."

"She's so much like you," he murmured.

"She's just as much like me as she is like you. You don't want to know how many times she did something or looked at me a certain way and all I could find was you."

He laughed lightly, lifted the arm rest between us and tucked me into his sight. I turned my head and reached up so I could kiss him. Just as my lips touched his I heard someone 'aawww' behind me.

We both looked up to find a stewardess with a refreshments cart standing in the aisle.

"You look so cute together," she gushed, before asking us what we wanted to drink.

She left with a longing sigh.

~*~

We arrived in Phoenix a little after six in the evening. My parents were waiting for us at the arrivals area and welcomed us with big hugs and happy smiles. They drove us to their house while informing us about all the details of Charlie's new job in Forks. When we arrived at their house they ushered us to the guestrooms, one for me and Edward and one for Emma.

I had to admit I was a bit surprised at this arrangement, but decided not to ask, afraid to rub someone the wrong way. Emma was so tired that I gave her a bath and tucked her in.

"But I want to see grandma and grandpa," she protested.

"You will see them all day tomorrow."

She tried to argue a little more, but her insistent yawns interrupted her. She finally gave up and was asleep before I even had the chance to turn off the light.

I found Edward with Renee in the kitchen.

"Hey, you two. Where's dad?"

Renee gave me a kiss on the cheek. "He's attempting to record a movie for me."

"That's going to turn into a disaster. You know that, right?"

Renee laughed, shaking her head. "He'll live. Let him battle it out with it. He's going to have to learn anyway, now that you won't be living with us anymore."

"Come on, let's go to the backyard, Charlie will join us soon. He already fired up the barbecue."

Her mention of food suddenly made me realize I was indeed hungry. Taking Edward's hand I walked to the back of the house. We settled down on the porch swing together, while Renee took one of the two wicker chairs. The barbeque was placed against the porch and was flaming softly, the meat was already sitting on the side table, ready to be grilled by Charlie.

"That's something he's going to miss in Forks," I noted quietly.

"It'll be fine. He doesn't do it much anymore anyway. Not since Jacob and Leah moved away, but you know that. He always claimed he lost his fun when there were just women to feed."

"I remember that," I replied laughing. "He must be glad to have Edward here."

Renee and Edward laughed too, but I could tell by the strained sounds coming from Edward that he was incredibly tense. So as soon as Charlie came out I cleared my throat and took Edward's hand in mine, my ring on top.

"Mom, dad, we have something to tell you," I started.

I could feel Edward tense beside me when Charlie's eyes darkened a little and his mouth set into a tight line.

"Edward and I really took the time to get to know each other better these past two weeks and we realized that we still love each other just as much as we did six years ago. Now I know what I'm about to say might come as a bit of a surprise, but we want you to know."

"Well Bella, don't keep us on edge here," Renee urged with a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Edward proposed and I said yes."

They sat there, not speaking, gaping at us in shock. I chanced a nervous look at Edward, noting that he was staring intently at the expression on my father's face.

"Mom? Dad?"

Renee snapped out of her shock first, hurling herself over to me to hug and kiss me and wish us both her best. Charlie took a deep breath, focused his eyes on Edward and stepped forward with a stern look on his face.

"If you ever hurt her in anyway you have me to answer to. You and Bella have a daughter and you have a life long obligation to your little girl. If you feel in any way uncertain, you'd better throw it out there now before you marry Bella."

"Sir, I understand your concern for Bella and Emma, but I simply can't stand the idea of going another day without either of them. I love them both very much and I will do whatever I can to make them happy."

Charlie still stood, staring down at Edward contemplatively. Suddenly he let a smile break out on his face.

"Welcome to the family, son," he said while getting up to offer us his congratulations.

We breathed a sigh of relief. All things considered Charlie had taken it all very well.

"Oh, before I forget, we've got a big family gathering tomorrow. It was changed at the last minute. You're welcome to come with us," Renee said, effectively killing the residual tension in the air.

I turned to Edward. "What do you say? You want to meet the entire family?"

"Why not?"

"Okay, we'll go. What time does this thing start?"

"It's at two and it's at the Whitlock's."

I bit my lip. That meant Jasper would be there. I had no idea whether or not it would be wise for us to go at that point, but Edward squeezed my hand reassuringly so I let it go.

We enjoyed a nice meal outside and talked a bit about the past two weeks. When we came to the story of our date on Friday, I hesitated.

"Bells? You look a bit pale, you okay?" Charlie asked.

"It's fine, dad. It's just that…Well, we decided to try and find out more about our biological family last Friday. We went to the library and started with my family. It wasn't that hard to find out more because Edward recognized my mother's name. It turns out she was Esme's younger sister. Esme is my biological aunt."

I looked down at my hand resting in my lap, a little afraid they'd be hurt by our plan to learn more about our family.

"Bells, why do you look so worried, kiddo?" Charlie asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "This is a good thing, isn't it? I mean Esme's a wonderfully kind woman."

"She is, but I guess I'm just afraid that looking for blood relatives…I just don't want to hurt you two. You've been the best parents I could have ever asked for and I don't want to seem ungrateful."

"Nonsense," Renee exclaimed. "We completely understand, don't worry about it."

Edward laughed lightly. "I guess we were both far more nervous than we should have been."

The rest of the evening we talked some more about my new job and Charlie's as well as what plans we had for Edward's apartment so that Emma and I could move in. We said goodnight well past midnight.

As Edward and I snuggled up into bed, he sighed and asked: "Bella, are you sure about going tomorrow? Jasper will probably be there, but so will Lauren and I don't know what the other family members might think of me, of us."

"I can handle it as long as you're with me. But what about you? Can you handle Jasper and Lauren?"

He laughed happily. "Sweet heart, I am far more nervous about Rose and Em coming home on Sunday."

"I guess you're right.

~*~

The drive to the Whitlock house was short, so I didn't have much time to get worked up about introducing Edward to the family as my fiancée. I smiled to myself at the thought. I liked that we were going to be together from now on. I stepped out of the car and walked around to Edward who had Emma already on his hip.

He snaked and arm around my waist and guided me after my parents. Charlie shot us both an encouraging grin as he knocked on the front door.

"Renee! Charlie! I'm so delighted to see you again," Mrs. Whitlock squealed. "Why don't we see each other more often? It's such a shame."

"I agree, sis. I agree," Charlie stated smiling.

Cynthia looked up and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw me. "Bella? I thought you were up in Seattle, darlin'."

"I was," I laughed. "But we came down to talk to my folks about something important."

Cynthia looked a bit confused, but turned her attention towards Edward.

"Edward? What on earth are you doing here?"

"Hello Cynthia. It's nice to see you again. Perhaps we can come in?"

"Oh, of course. Where are my manners?"

We followed her inside, but were stopped by Cynthia as soon as the door was closed behind us.

"Now, please someone explain why my son-in-law's brother is here, holding Emma no less?"

She stood there, hands on her hips, head cocked to the side. I suddenly realized how much Rosalie really looked like her mother. Charlie huffed in annoyance at his sister.

"Well? Tell me…"

I opened my mouth to speak, but my eyes caught sight of a tall, burly guy with a head of dark curls.

"Uh oh," I breathed.

Edward looked at me curiously, but before I could speak I heard Emmett's boisterous voice call out to Edward.

"Eddie! What are you doing here, man?"

Charlie muttered something about a crowd and quickly dragged Renee away from the slowly growing group in the foyer. Emmett clapped his shoulder and with Rosalie tucked under his arm came over to us.

Their eyes flickered from my face to Edward's to Emma's and then down to our entwined hands.

"No!" Rosalie exclaimed. "Edward, you douchebag!"

"Rose, simmer down," her mother said. "they were just about to explain why Edward's here."

"Why is everybody yelling at mommy and daddy?" Emma's sleepy voice suddenly cut through.

All of a sudden everything went dead-silent.

* * *

_A/N: Don't you just hate it when things go dead-silent? I hope you liked the reveal, because I really wanted Emma to out them to Rose and Emmett._

_Let me know what you think. And for those of you who enjoy a bit of Tanya bashing, she'll get hers in chapter thirty, so hang in there ;)_

_Hugs,_

_Mo_


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the characters, I own the plotline.

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Chapter tweny-nine

**Epov**

The silence was deafening, but then everyone began talking all at once and Icould hardly hear myself think. And just as I thought things couldn't get any worse, Jasper joined the group. I was starting to panic a little when Charlie stepped inside.

"Everybody shut up!" he bellowed. "Edward, why don't you give me Emma so you and Bella can focus on explaining things to the others. Now as for the rest of you, keep it down. You don't want the entire family to hear, do you?"

Cynthia looked shocked at the mention of the family. "Of course not. Could you please try to keep everyone out?"

Charlie nodded to her while he took Emma from me.

"But grandpa," she whined. "I want to stay with mommy and daddy."

"You can be with them in a little while, pumpkin. For now why don't you let me get you a nice glass of lemonade and a cookie, okay?"

With a frown and a last look at me and Bella, she nodded and allowed Charlie to whisk her off into the garden and away from the mess that was about to unfold here.

All I could think was_, o,shit!_ The looks of the others ranged from shocked surprise to murderous rage. The first being Cynthia and the latter Rosalie. Emmett seemed to be teetering on the edge between angry and confused, while Jasper, who knew more about us than the others stood watching on calmly.

"What. was. that?" Rosalie spat icily.

"Rose, let's sit down, shall we? We're hardly even in the door."

"No, Bella! I warned you about him! And now Emma's already calling him daddy? What are you thinking? I didn't know you were that desperate."

My blood boiled, but Bella responded before I could even open my mouth. She slapped Rosalie hard across her cheek.

"Watch what you say to me, Rosalie! I am not desperate and there is nothing wrong with Emma calling Edward daddy, because he is her daddy."

I hardly recognized her voice it was so icy. Wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her into my chest, I murmured reassuring words into her ear. I walked her past a fuming Rose into the living room which was empty because all of the guests were in the back yard. The others followed quietly.

"Could you all just please take a seat?" I asked.

"Edward, stop stalling and get the f-"

"Rosalie, please don't say anything you'll regret after you hear everything."

She gritted her teeth, scowling at me. Inhaling deeply I scooted forward on the couch and looked her directly in the eye.

"Rose, I don't understand why you would yell at me for just being with Bella. Aside from anything I tell you hereafter, why on earth would you become so angry for me showing up with Bella and Emma?"

"Because I know what you're like. You forget I know Jane, don't you?"

"Rose, please," I tried.

"No. You take advantage of women who fall for you only to shove them aside when you're sick of them. Bella deserves better."

Bella sat forward, looking furious. "Edward told me about his former relationships, if you want to call them that, so I think I can be a judge of that myself. Besides I met Jane when Edward and I went out to dinner last Friday. She's not exactly a saint herself."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about her undressing Edward with her eyes even after she heard him say that he loved me and despite the fact that she has a boyfriend herself. If he would have asked her to go with him that night, she would have. How is that exactly decent behaviour?"

"It's not," Rosalie reluctantly admitted.

"And didn't we discuss this issue about Edward on the phone a week ago? Didn't you agree to give him a chance?"

"Yes, we did, but then I thought he was just a friend to you. I'm sorry, Bella, but I still get a bit protective of you."

Cynthia decided she had had enough of being in the dark. "Listen, all of this is very interesting, but please explain the rest. How is it that Edward is here with Bella and that he's Emma's dad? I mean you didn't know who the father was…"

I squeezed Bella's knee before turning to Cynthia to explain. "Bella did know, but she thought she was protecting me by keeping it to herself. Bella and I have been adopted by the same family seven years ago. We fell in love and everything went just fine until someone tried to harm Bella. We ran away together. The following morning our foster-dad found us. He was livid we had run away and hit both of us several times. Once the police came, Bella was taken to the hospital while I was dragged of to the police station. We never got to see each other again after that."

"Two weeks ago we were finally reunited at Emmett and Rosalie's wedding. I saw Bella and Emma and almost instantly realized Emma had to be my daughter. We talked a lot since then and soon realized we still loved each other."

I took Bella's hand in mine, giving her a crooked smile. She sighed and smiled back. Momentarily forgetting we had an audience I bent down to kiss her softly on her inviting lips. Her hands found their way into my hair quickly, tugging to show her appreciation. Someone cleared their throat and I pulled away blushing slightly. Bella saw my blush and snickered, her own face even redder than mine.

We looked up to find a bemused trio on the couch and a scowling Jasper behind the couch. This day was definitely taking a turn for the worst.

"Sorry," Bella muttered. "But I hope you guys can accept this eventually. Especially since Edward asked me to marry him and I said yes."

Cynthia squealed. The woman always did like weddings more than was good for her.

"Oh, kids. You have to tell me more soon. It just sounds so romantic to have found each other after so many years and still be in love," she sighed dramatically.

Before I very well realized what was going on, she had come over and hugged us both before congratulating us and heading out to her guests with an instruction to Rose to 'play nice'. Judging by her face though, that was going to be hard.

"Aren't you moving a bit too fast, Bella?" Rosalie murmured.

"Maybe, but I don't want to lose him again, Rose. Emma adores him and he loves her right back and he makes me extremely happy. I just want you to be happy for me eventually. Besides, Edward is not as bad as you may think he is. Emmett believed a lot of delusional girls when it comes to his little brother."

Emmett rubbed the back of his neck a bit sheepish. "Listen, I know Edward didn't sleep around that much. Heck I think I can even say for sure that his number of actual bed partners since he moved in with us is less than ten," he admitted softly.

"Emmett! And you let me rant and rave about what a man whore I thought Edward was? How is that fair? Why wouldn't you correct me?"

"I don't know Rose. At first I didn't want you to know, because I was afraid of losing you to him and later I just never even considered it anymore, because I had gotten so used to the ranting. I'm sorry, babe."

Rosalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I won't be able to let my idea of you go Edward," she spoke, her eyes still closed. "But I will try to be more civil. I know I promised something similar on the phone last week, but I'll really try. Just give me some time."

She opened her eyes again and looked at Bella. "And I'm really glad you're happy, Bella. No matter who you love, as long as you're happy that's all I ask."

Bella smiled a watery smile and stood to hug her cousin and then Emmett. They both offered tentative congratulations and, after a fleeting look at Jasper, decided to head outside and join the rest of the family. So that left us with Jasper.

I eyed him warily, but noted with a bit of relief that he seemed resigned somehow.

"Jasper." Bella said, slightly shaky. "How are you?"

"I'm as good as I can be. How are you?"

"I'm okay, well more than okay. I'm happy."

I saw a range of emotions flicker across his features, but he settled on relief. It wasn't something I had expected.

"You guys moved fast," he muttered, but I could see in his eyes that he was mostly teasing.

"Jasper, please. Edward is a good man."

"Are you really happy, Bella?"

"Yes. Completely happy."

"Then I'm happy for you. Really, I am. I also wanted to tell you how sorry I was for doing what I did before I left Seattle. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me. I really want us to be friends. I did some more stupid stuff when I was there and after thinking it all over I really want to set it all straight, so if you guys won't mind, I'm going to fly back out there when you leave."

"We're leaving tomorrow, so it'll be very short notice," I warned him. "Besides, I don't know if Alice will want to hear it, Jasper."

He looked at me with a confused look on his features. "What? Why should I want to speak to Alice?"

"Sorry, I just assumed... Shit, she told me you didn't remember."

"Didn't remember what, Edward?" he sounded a little panicked by now.

"She told me you guys slept together, but when she saw you the following day it was clear you had been so drunk you didn't remember a thing."

He shook his head. "That's not possible. I only remember a hand full of things I did with Alice, and sleeping with her isn't one of them."

"Like I said, she said you and her got pretty drunk the night after the wedding."

He furrowed his brow, obviously trying to remember. Slowly his face contorted in a horror stricken mask. Clearly he remembered something.

"Shit, even more to set straight. Shit, shit, shit!" he punched with his fist into the back of the sofa.

"Jasper, what the hell did you do that you need to straighten out if it isn't what happened with Alice, which by the way Edward, you should have told me about," Bella stated, her hands planted firmly on her waist while she gave us both stern looks of disapproval.

"Alice asked me to keep my mouth shut about it. I shouldn't even have mentioned it to Jasper, but I guess I slipped up."

She sighed. "Okay, sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. Now, Jazz, give me some answers."

"I went out to a nightclub sunday night. I met a girl there who I took back to my hotel. She and I stayed together for three nights before I told her to get the hell out. I hurt her feelings and I really need to apologize. Besides that, I owe the restaurant I took you to an apology as well. After you and Emma left that evening I got hammered and I caused a big scene. It's really embarrassing, Bells."

"Jazz, how cold you do all that and then turn around and claim to be in love with me?"

"I don't know. I let my jealousy get the better of me in a horrible way. And what I did to you, Bella. That's what I regret most of all. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know that, Jasper. I'm pretty sure we can still be friends, but you need to give it a little more time, okay?"

"Of course. Can I at least give you a hug?"

I wanted to protest. I didn't want him to put his hands on her, but I couldn't. It wasn't my place to decide about this. So I watched as Bella nodded her head minutely and allowed him to take her in his arms. Nothing about the hug seemed inappropriate, but it still made me feel like someone punched me in the gut. I realized that, would I have been Jasper, I would have felt sick with jealousy if she found someone she loved and it wasn't me. It made me a little less begrudging towards him.

We talked to Jasper a little more before finally getting up the courage to get up and go outside. On the threshold I hesitated.

"Bella, of Lauren is here, don't let her get to you, okay?"

"Edward," she sighed exasperatedly. "We'll live. It's not like I don't know how much she exaggerates, especially when she's trying to make me jealous of her. Besides, if I can make it through a confrontation with either Tanya or Jane, this will be a piece of cake."

I raised an eyebrow, but kept quiet. She smirked, grabbed my hand and dragged me out into the yard. Emma came bounding up to us almost instantly.

"Daddy!" she squealed before launching herself into my arms.

Bella laughed a little and then muttered: "I've been replaced."

"Of course not, mommy. I love you both!" Emma exclaimed with a huff.

"Sorry, baby. I was just joking."

Emma grinned. "Okay. Can I have another cookie?"

"How many did you have?"

"Mmm. Three?"

"And did you eat anything else yet?"

"No."

"Well then no cookie. We're going to get something decent for you to eat first. If you still want a cookie afterwards, you can have one then."

I smiled when Emma grumbled, but agreed to Bella's terms. Emma squirmed to get out of my arms and when I put her down she grabbed Bella's hand and dragged her over to the long tables where all of the food had been displayed.

I was about to follow them when a hand on my arm stopped me.

"Hello Edward. I knew you would come looking for me," Lauren purred into my ear.

I stiffened. I did not want this to turn into a scene, so I carefully pulled her hand from my arm. "Lauren, I'm not here for you."

She snorted. "Who else is here that you would want to see?"

"Bella and Emma."

She scowled. "What do you want with the slut and her bastard child?"

I had to fight the urge to slap some sense into her. She was not worth embarrassing my girls and Bella's parents over, so I simply gritted my teeth, clenched my fists and breathed through my fit of rage.

"Lauren," I hissed. "Never speak of my daughter or my fiancée like that again."

Lauren's face went white as sheet. "She-she's your daughter?"

"Yes."

"You're not joking, are you?"

"No, I'm not. Emma is my biological daughter and I've just asked Bella to marry me, so she is my fiancée."

"Why marry her? It's not like she hasn't made it without you for this long."

"Because I love her. I hope you understand and will stay away from them while we're here."

She glanced around the gathered family member until her gaze fell on Bella and Emma. Her eyes unexpectedly filled with tears.

"I know you all think I am some heinous bitch and it's true that I have behaved like that over the years, but do you know how hard it is to watch a stranger step into the lives of your aunt and uncle and watch her get everything you have ever wanted?"

"Bella was loved unconditionally by Charlie and Renee, while I was always fighting to earn my parents approval. I guess I just always have been envious of her. And then she had Emma and I saw how loving she was towards her. She and I both stayed at the Hale's house together one night. She doesn't know, but I heard her talking to Emma that night. I heard her tell Emma about her dad and how much she had loved him and he had loved her back. I even overheard her telling how you guys met and fell in love."

Lauren seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then dove back in to tell me more. "I heard her talk about how you looked and determined she was showing Emma a picture. So that night I snuck into her room and searched for it. I found it. When we first met I thought you looked vaguely familiar, but I didn't think anything of it. I guess I realized it when I saw Emma running up to Bella right before the reception started."

"So you knew, when we went up to my room?"

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you say something?"

"Because I wanted you to want me instead of her and for a brief moment I thought you did. You sure proved me wrong. When you two danced, I could see it in your eyes. That you still wanted her, so when the song ended I kissed you in order to scare her off."

I chuckled. "Lauren, you really need to find yourself someone who really loves you."

She groaned. "I keep finding men who I fall for, but don't fall for me."

I opened my mouth to speak when my eye fell on a stomach churning situation before me. Bella was being hugged by some guy I didn't know. I weaved through the crowd so I could pull him off of her but froze in my tracks when her laughter reached me.

"Tyler, it's been so long!"

Tyler? Who the hell is Tyler?

"Bells you look better than ever. Are you and Edward still together?"

Another laugh bubbled up from Bella's throat. "We've been separated for a few years but have found our way back to each other."

Her eyes roamed the garden and landed on me. "There he is. Edward! Look who I've found!"

The guy turned around and suddenly my anger was replaced by genuine surprise. "Crowley? What the hell are you doing here?"

I walked up to them and hugged him briefly.

"Good to see you too, buddy," he laughed. "I arranged the catering for this little shindig."

We laughed and talked for a while, getting filled in on the things we missed in each other's lives over the past few years. When he told us he was still single a plan formed in my mind.

"Tyler, I want to introduce you to someone."

"Sure, lead the way."

"What are you up to?" Bella asked suspiciously.

"Trust me, love."

I searched the crowd until my eyes landed on the girl I was looking for. I beckoned her over. When she reached us I smiled down at her and turned to Tyler.

"Tyler this is Lauren Mallory. Lauren, this is Tyler Crowley."

Bella punched my arm, looking angrily up at me, but I motioned my head towards the two I just introduced and they seemed completely lost in each other.

Bella's eyes widened a little, but then a smile lit up her face and she quickly dragged me away.

"I think you made a match, Mr. Cullen."

I snickered. "I think so too."

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_A/N: Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to meheee, happy birhtday to me ;) I turned twenty-six today and gave myself the gift of the new chapter, so __here it is. Chapter twenty-nine. I hope you liked it._

_I got a couple of reviews of people who didn't understand why Rose was pissed with Edward before she even heard what Emma said, but I hope this chapter sheds some light on that. I am going to try to reply to your reviews more form now on, by the way. Oh, and did you like the small amount of redemption Lauren got or was it a total bust?_

_Thank you all for reading._


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, they belong to Mrs. Meyer. I merely own the plot.

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Chapter thirty

**Bpov**

I watched as Lauren and Tyler started talking and seemed to lose all sense of where they were. It was odd to see Lauren smile so easily, so genuinely when all I remembered about her was her sneering and nasty comments.

"Come on, love. Let's go dance," Edward whispered close to my ear.

I let him lead me to the improvised dance floor and take me into his arms. With a contented sigh I placed my head on his chest, relaxing into his embrace while the music washed over me.

"Why did you introduce Lauren to Tyler?" I asked quietly, while my eyes were trained on Emma who was dancing with my mother.

"She just seemed like she needed something good in her life."

I looked up at him, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say that I now know why she's always so mean to other people. Her life isn't that great, Bella. Have you ever seen her this happy?"

I looked back over at Lauren. She did seem happy. "No, to be honest I haven't."

"She told me she's been jealous of you ever since she met you, maybe if she's happy she can put aside her grudges."

I nodded into his chest, not entirely sure I could put aside my grudge against her and feeling a bit ashamed of that. A soft cough behind me, drew me from my safe little hide-out in Edward's arms.

I looked up to find Rosalie standing behind us, looking a bit sheepish. "Bella, can I talk to you, please?"

"Sure, I'll be right behind you."

I kissed Edward softly. "I'll be right back."

"Take all the time you need love. I'll go dance with Emma."

I smiled at the mental picture his words conjured up. "Okay. I love you."

"Love you too. Now go and talk to Rose."

Taking a deep breath, I turned around to find Rosalie. I found her in the kitchen, staring blindly at an empty vase on the table.

"Rose?"

She whirled around, startled. "Hey, Bells. Can we go up to my old room?"

"Sure."

I followed behind her, not sure what to say and unwilling to give her a break yet. I wanted to know exactly why she had been so vicious when we first arrived. When we got to her room she closed the door softly behind us and sat down slowly on the bed, while I stayed on my feet, arms crossed over my chest.

"First of all I want to apologize for my behaviour. I was rude and it was completely uncalled for."

"Okay, but why did you say those things, Rose? It's not like you know Jane that well and I can't believe that Emmett made Edward out to be an absolute horrible character. So, please, tell me what the problem is."

"I forget how well you know me. You're right. It wasn't about Jane, or about Edward's reputation. I don't know what came over me, I just felt betrayed I guess. First of all, you never once told me you still loved Emma's father."

I frowned. "Rose, would you have?"

"I don't know. You're my closest friend, Bella and you never even told me what happened to you. Or his name."

"Rose, it was a painful memory. I've been through so much pain and I have had my fair share of bad memories. I just was reluctant to relive them. The nightmares I had the first six months I lived with Charlie and Renee were bad enough as it was."

"Okay, fine. But why didn't you tell me on the phone earlier that you and Edward were going to date?"

"We wanted to explain things face to face, but none of this explains your overdrawn reaction."

"I know. It's just… God, this is ridiculous. I overreacted because my hormones are on the fritz."

I stared at her for a moment and then started laughing. "You're pregnant?"

"Yes."

I kneeled in front of her so I could hug her. She was crying now and I wasn't really sure it were happy tears or sad ones, because Rosalie hardly ever cried.

"Rose? You're happy with it right?"

"Of course I'm happy. It's just unexpected."

"I'll say. How far along are you?"

"Almost three months."

My eyes widened. "That's longer than I expected."

Rosalie laughed now, swiping at her tears with her sleeve. "I had a bladder infection. The doctor gave me antibiotics and I guess that's when Emmett's swimmers got through the pill. Imagine my surprise when on the first day of our honeymoon I realized I haven't had my period in a while. First I figured it was the stress of the wedding, but a couple of days later I got a test and found out I was pregnant."

"I guess that explains your mom's erratic behaviour too, huh?"

"Yeah, we told her just before you guys showed up."

We laughed and talked for a little while longer, before Emmett came to find us, Edward and Emma hot on his heels.

"Everything okay here?" Emmett asked.

"Of course…daddy," I said with a wink.

"She told you? Thank god!"

~*~

The rest of the party continued without further incident. When we finally got back to my parents' place that evening we were all too tired to do anything other than go to bed. The following morning we woke early in order to make it to the airport in time. Jasper had managed to get a last minute ticket on the same flight, so he drove with us to the airport.

The ride there and the flight back to Seattle was not really uncomfortable, but there still was some residue tension in the air. I just thanked the heavens that Emma slept through the entire trip.

Upon arrival at Rose and Emmett's apartment things got a bit awkward. Jasper was going to be staying there, whereas me and Emma were going to be packing up the things we still had lying around to take to Edward's flat. So that meant we kept getting in each other's way.

"Is that the last one?" I asked Edward, who was taking a box down to his car.

"Yes. I guess we'll go?"

We had arrived in his car, but seeing as I needed to take my new car over to his house permanently now, I was supposed to follow him home.

"Can you take Emma on ahead? I want to have a quick word with Jasper."

His eyes flashed angrily before he composed his features and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "If anything happens, call me at once."

"I will. I won't be long, I promise."

I waited until he was out of the room before I turned to Jasper. "Listen, Jazz. I know you think you love me, but somehow I doubt it. You wouldn't have done the things you did when you really loved me. I just can't believe that."

"Trust me, Bella. It is what I do. It's what I've done all along."

"Jasper, did you ever think that maybe you hung onto your infatuation with me as a shield of sorts?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, just think about it. You claim you've been in love with me for six years, yet you never told me anything. You never tried to show me, you never did more than play the concerned brother when another guy would ask me out. I think that clinging on to the idea of being in love with me was helping you keep your emotions out of your relationships."

Jasper stood staring at me like I was crazy.

"Don't look at me like that, Jazz. Just think about it. And promise me one thing. Be nice to Alice. She's a wonderful woman and I don't want to see her hurt. Make amends with her."

"I will, I promise."

I said goodbye and was about to leave when a hunch made me turn back to him. "Oh and if you don't mind me asking, what's the name of the other girl?"

"Tanya Denali."

My eyes widened, while my jaw dropped. I must've looked like a complete fool, but I couldn't get my features pulled together. Jasper had used and dumped Tanya.

"Bells? Earth to Bells. You okay?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes…ehm. Can you tell me when you plan on talking to Tanya?"

"I guess so. Do you know her?"

"Yes and I have a reason to really dislike her."

Jasper nodded, but didn't ask any other questions, much to my relief. I was down the stairs and in my car as fast as I could.

I came home and found Harry, the doorman, helping Edward carry a couple of bags upstairs. Edward saw me driving up and I could literally see the tension flow out of him. His radiating smile made my knees buckle.

"Hello gorgeous. Everything go well?"

"Yep. I have some gossip to share, though."

Edward furrowed his brow. "Care to explain?"

"Later. We need to hurry to get to your students."

Edward's whole demeanour changed and he rushed us upstairs with the last of the bags and boxes.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, we were in Edward's car on our way to the theatre where the competition would be held. When we arrived we were met with a bunch of high strung students and their frantic parents. Apparently the order of appearance had been changed at the last minute and nobody knew when they were expected on stage.

Edward immediately stepped into his role as teacher and went out to find out more about the new schedule.

He came back a little later with a sheet that had all the details they needed on it. The students were anxious, but as each one got ready for their turn, Edward talked to them quietly until they were calm and looking like they were ready to go out there. I was extremely proud of him at that point.

As we were waiting for the results I was accosted by two of the girls.

"Hi! I'm Casey and this is Emily. Are you Bella Swan?"

"Yes, I am." I said cautiously.

"It's so nice to meet you. You really are beautiful. Just like Nick said," she murmured while peering curiously at Emma. "What's her name?"

"I'm Emma," Em answered.

"Hi, Emma. I'm Casey. Your daddy is my teacher." She turned back to me with a bright smile. "She's so cute. If you ever need a sitter, I babysit my sisters all the time."

"Thanks, I guess. But can you maybe enlighten me on who you girls are and who this Nick is you mentioned?"

The girls giggled. Emily spoke up next. "Mr. Cullen is our teacher and he told us last week that you were his girlfriend and Emma's your daughter. He really changed since you showed up in Seattle. Nick saw you guys at the ice-cream parlour apparently and he mentioned you were beautiful."

I blushed profusely at their open admiration of both Edward and myself. "Thanks for being so sweet, girls."

"No, thank you for making Mr. Cullen happy. He's a lot more fun now."

I laughed. "You girls are too much."

"No, they're right," a boy said as he moved closer. "Mr. Cullen is smiling all the time now. I'm Nick, by the way."

"Nice to meet you Nick. So what do you guys play?"

They enthusiastically launched into a lengthy explanation of the instruments they played and what piece they were going to perform during the concert.

"Is it true you're going to be our English teacher?" Nick asked after a while.

I laughed. "Depends on your schedule, but yes I did get a job as an English teacher at West High."

"Cool. That way Mr. Cullen is going to be smiling all year round."

A groan from behind me stopped Casey from saying whatever was going to say in response to Nick. I turned to find the person who apparently was exasperated with our conversation.

"Of course, I should have known," I muttered. "Tanya."

"Bella," she spat, "I see you're still trying to force yourself on Edward. It's sad really. He'll never stay you know. He's too much of a free spirit for that."

The girls who had been standing behind me, now came up next to me, shooting daggers at Tanya. But of course Tanya didn't notice the crowd she was gathering and just kept going.

"He will get tired of you after a few weeks, so why don't you just give it up, Bella? He needs more in a woman than you can offer him. He needs someone a little more like me. Someone who is adventurous and doesn't tie him down with a kid."

Emma leaned a little forward. "'Scuse me. But your fly is open," she stated sweetly, pointing down at Tanya's skirt.

Completely unfazed, Tanya reached down and zipped up the side of her skirt. The girls and Nick, snickered. "Your blouse is buttoned wrong, too," Casey chortled.

This time Tanya got a little flustered and checked her attire carefully for anymore flaws. She was about to open her mouth to undoubtedly spout more insults in my direction when Mike came sauntering over, a post coital smile plastered firmly on his face.

The students tried their hardest not to burst into laughter when they noticed Mike's dishevelled appearance.

"Hello, kids. Bella, Emma, looking beautiful as ever."

He stepped in to give me a kiss on the cheek but I kept him from touching me by shooting a pointed glance down at his untucked shirt and then at Tanya. He gave me a sheepish grin.

"What can I say? When it's offered, it's offered," he muttered. "I'll go find my seat for the results. See you later Bella."

I waved him off and without even a second glance at Tanya, he weaved through the crowd to the seating area. Tanya stood there, looking about ready to blow, but she didn't get a chance to speak because from the stage the voice of the announcer drifted towards us.

"Welcome again. We are about to announce this year's winners, but before we do, I have a special treat for you today. Mr. Edward Cullen, music teacher at West High, will play a piano piece he composed himself. Mr. Cullen, the stage is yours."

Emily and Casey dragged me to the side of the stage to see what was happening. We watched as Edward took his seat at the piano bench.

"Hello everyone. I want to dedicate this song to my fiancée, Bella Swan. She inspired this song when we were apart a while ago and I think now it's time to let her hear it."

His eyes landed on me and all the world melted away. I didn't hear the outraged screams of Tanya, nor the aawwws of Emily and Casey nor the applause he received. All that mattered, all that existed was Edward at that moment.

I slowly swayed from side to side, with Emma still on my hip and my eyes closed. The longing note in the music rolled over me, pulled me in. In that moment I felt complete and loved and entirely elated. That man behind that piano was my life and he and I both knew it.

When the song was over he got a thundering applause, but his eyes were focused on me. He reached his hand out to me. I hated being the centre of attention, so I shook my head vehemently, but Emily and Casey had other ideas. They both pushed me onto the stage until I could no longer hide.

Taking a few deep breaths, I walked forward and took his outstretched hand. He smiled, gave me a chaste kiss and turned back to the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is my future wife, Bella and our daughter Emma. We thank you for your attention."

Another round of applause echoed through the theatre. The announcer came back on stage, thanked us both and then turned back around to start the announcement of the day's winners.

Edward ushered me off the stage and led me back to where his students were anxiously waiting for the results. Emily and Casey came up to congratulate us on our engagement. They were soon followed by all the other students and a couple of people neither of us even knew.

Soon the age group that concerned Edward's students was called and much to my delight, three of the kids won a prize for their piece. At the end of the announcements all musicians were called on stage to receive a medal fro competing. When the kids were on stage, Tanya decided to give it one last go.

"Edward, you're not seriously marrying her, right?" she asked, not sounding all that sure of herself.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Tanya, but we are getting married."

Tanya screeched, stomped her foot and then half ran out of the theatre, looking utterly devastated. I decided my revenge had been served and I didn't need to make it worse by interfering when Jasper would come find her.

* * *

_A/N: Hi all! I had planned to upload the new chapter this weekend, but I finished it early. Do you think Tanya has gotten hers or should we add a little more humiliation in a later chapter? Personally I think she's finally gotten the message._

_I wanted to thank you all for the birthday wishes and reviews on last chapter. I totally adore all the positive feedback._

_Some of you have mentioned Rosalie's overdrawn response. I explained it in this chapter, but there is still something more to it that will be revealed some time later. Let me know what you think._


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: Characters are not mine, they belong to Stephenie Meyer. The plotline is mine, though.

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Chapter thirty-one

**Epov**

Arriving home after the contest I felt a wave of fatigue hit me. All the emotional tension of the past two days were catching up with me and apparently I wasn't the only one. Emma could hardly keep her eyes open. Bella however, looked a little hyper.

"Love? I really need to take a load off, but you look like you could use a night on the town or something. Why don't you call Alice and spend a night with her."

Bella's smile was radiant as I offered the idea. "I think I'll do that. Would you mind if I told her about the wedding?"

I smiled. "Of course not, love. She'll probably be a bit ticked that she is the last one to hear."

"She'll live," she laughed.

I took Emma from her and ordered her to call my sister. Emma sighed and dropped her head into the crook of my neck. I sat down on the sofa and cradled her against my chest, humming the song I had written for Bella all those years ago. When Bella came back out her face softened as she saw us on the couch together.

"My god, you two look so much like each other," she breathed, her voice thick with the tears that were starting to brim.

"Is Alice picking you up?"

"Yes, she'll be here in ten minutes. Said she was already on her way into town, but would turn around to come get me."

I nodded as she settled herself beside me. I opened my arm for her as an invitation. She took it, snuggling into my side and it simply felt perfect. I felt content in letting my eyelids droop. Soon I was drifting off to sleep, with both my girls in my arms.

A little while later I woke up to feel Bella slide from under my arm. After a short moment I heard her whispers along with Alice.

"I never figured my brother would be such a natural with kids," Alice whispered, sounding almost awed.

"I know. But he looks so good doing it, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. His whole being changed ever since he saw you at the wedding. His eyes are no longer empty, Bella. They're full of love, life now."

"I just wish I would have found him sooner. It would have made life so much easier for all of us."

"Let's go, Bella. There's no use crying over something you can't change. Let's get some girl time, okay?"

Their quiet footfalls faded and after a couple of seconds the door quietly closed behind them. I slowly allowed my eyes to open. Bella was right, of course. Life would have been easier on us if we would have been together sooner. If I would have been with her when she was pregnant.

I cursed Tanya for her involvement in our separation. What I did today was in part to spite her, but it didn't feel like it was enough. I needed to make sure she finally got the message through her incredibly thick skull that I would never in all my life would touch her again.

When Emma murmured softly in her sleep, all my anger was sucked out of me, completely taken over by a warmth that I had never known before I saw Emma. I loved her with all my being and would do anything and everything to protect her. I loved the fact that I had taken as quickly to her as she had taken to me. At first glance I had been petrified at the idea of being a father, but then Emma showed up the morning after the wedding in my bedroom and ever since I could only feel love for the little girl in my arms.

I took Emma to her bedroom so I could tuck her in for the night. I watched her sleep for a little while before I decided to go back to the living room and read a little. I still had a book lying on the table that I wanted to finish. I got myself a beer, kicked my shoes off and relaxed onto the couch. I picked up my book and started reading.

A short while later I heard Emma whimpering in her sleep. At first I ignored it, thinking it was just a dream, but then she started crying softly. Something in her tone alarmed me, so I sat my beer back down and hurried into her room. Emma looked flushed and she was tossing and turning restlessly. I sat down on the edge of the bed and gently laid my palm on her forehead. It felt warm, too warm.

Frowning I got back to my feet to find a thermometer. When I found what I needed, I headed into the kitchen to get her a cup of juice and then went back to my daughter.

Emma was now awake, but she was groggy and she was begging for her mommy.

"Shh, baby. Daddy's here. I'm going to take care of you."

I settled her in my lap and slipped the thermometer under her tongue. She was fussy, didn't want to stay still, so I had to hold her a bit tighter and keep the thermometer in it's place with my free hand. When I looked down at the number I felt a small surge of panic.

Before I let it consume me, though, I got up, wrapped Emma into a blanket and carried her into the living room. I grabbed the things I needed and on the way downstairs I called my father.

"Edward? What are you doing, calling us this hour?"

"Dad, it's Emma. She's running a fever and it's high, too high. I want to bring her in, but I need you there."

"I'll be there as soon as I can, son. Just calm down."

"See you in a few minutes."

"Where's Bella?"

"Out with Alice. I'll call her when I'm at the hospital."

"Don't. Let's see what's up with Emma before we worry her, okay?"

I clenched my teeth. "I don't know."

"Edward, small children get fevers over the smallest things. I do not want her rushing out to the hospital with this torrential downpour if it's not necessary."

I hadn't even realized how hard it was raining. "I guess you're right. I have to go. See you at the hospital."

I settled Emma in the car seat and was out of the underground garage and onto the street the next minute. Driving as fast as I dared in the pelting rain, I made my way to the hospital.

When I arrived, my father was already waiting for us. He took Emma from me and took her into an exam room. I hurried after him, reeling from the panic that was bubbling in my chest.

I watched as Carlisle took Emma's temperature, listen to her heart and then with a deep sigh he pulled back and gave me a grave look.

"I'm sorry, Edward. But she's not going to make it."

My heart clenched and with a loud cry of agony I fell to my knees.

"NO!" I roared.

I shot up, dropping the beer bottle in the process. My heart was racing, my cheeks wet from tears that had been running down them while I was dreaming.

It had been a dream.

Only a dream.

I lay back on the couch to even my breathing and slow my heart rate, listening to the quiet of the house. It wasn't even raining outside like I had dreamed of.

"Daddy!" Emma called out suddenly.

I jumped up, avoiding the beer that had pooled on the hardwood floor and headed for Emma's room.

She was sitting up, looking groggy, but nothing seemed all together wrong. I sank down on the side of her bed and let her crawl into my lap.

"Are you okay, baby?"

"Yes."

"Why did you call me?"

"I had a bad dream."

Me too, I wanted to say, but instead I kissed the top of her head and rocked her back and forth slowly. "It's okay now, baby. Daddy's here."

"Can I sleep in bed with you and mommy?"

"Mommy isn't home yet, but you can sleep next to me."

She nodded and put her thumb into her mouth. Her eyes were already drooping.

"Okay," I said as I stood and walked over to the master bedroom. "I'm going to put you in bed, then I'm going to clean up the mess I made and then I'll come to bed."

Emma nodded her consent, but I could tell she was already on her way to new, hopefully better, dreams. I slid her under the covers and then quickly cleaned up the beer that I had spilled when I woke from that nightmare.

When I was finished, I washed up, pulled on a pair of pyjama's and crawled into bed. I scooped up Emma's small frame and settled her against me, in the safety of my arms. She snuggled in close and hummed happily. After pressing another kiss on the top of her head, I allowed myself to drift off to sleep once again.

_Tanya was waiting for me when I came home from work. She looked at me with a hunger that was nothing like her normal sexual attraction._

"_What do you want Tanya?"_

"_You."_

"_You can't have me and you know it."_

"_Come on, Edward. We'll work it out."_

"_No we won't."_

_She hissed, but backed off as I opened my door and stepped into the apartment. On the couch another unwanted sight greeted me. Jane._

_She was dressed in nothing but lingerie. When she heard me come in, she turned around, beckoning me forward with her finger. I stayed rooted in place._

"_Come here, Edward."_

"_No."_

"_Come, on. You know I need you."_

"_No, you don't."_

"_Yes, I do. And you need me too."_

"_No, Jane. Get out of my house. Where's Bella?"_

_Jane cackled a laugh that sounded haunting, but that wasn't the worst of it. In the gleam of the light beside her I could see her fangs. She was a vampire._

_I turned around, but before I could reach for the door, Tanya came in, baring a set of fangs that were identical to Jane's. Horrified, I stepped away from her, but as soon as I did I felt the small body of Jane behind me._

_She grabbed my hair and angled my head back._

"_Tanya, my sister. Share my drink," Jane purred._

_I clenched my eyes shut as both females leaned in, poised to bite._

I woke up again with a pounding heart. At least this time I knew it was a dream, but why the hell had I been dreaming about these crazy things?

Groaning I ran a hand over my face. I glanced beside me, finding Emma curled up into a tight ball, half a foot away. At least she was soundly asleep and it didn't look like she was having bad dreams either.

I slipped out of the bed and headed into the kitchen. I needed to clear my head a little. Apparently it was too clogged up to come up with good dreams. I grabbed a mug, filled it with milk and popped it into the microwave to heat it up. While the mug rotated I grabbed the tin of cocoa powder and the sugar.

My mind drifted back to those strange dreams and the fact that in both of them Bella wasn't around. Thinking about it made me wonder about what Bella and Alice were up to. The microwave beeped, shaking me from my thoughts.

I pulled the mug out, staring at nothing really, so I didn't even see the time on the microwave as I worked to make my hot chocolate. But I did when I raised the mug to my lips.

I slammed the thing back down onto the counter as the green digits registered in my brain. I whirled around, sprinting back to the bedroom to make sure she wasn't in the bed.

When I was sure she wasn't, I ran back into the living room, grabbed my phone and called her cell. The instant I heard it ringing a soft chiming sound sounded to my left.

Shit! She'd left her phone at home. Next attempt was Alice's phone.

Voicemail.

I was cursing out loud now, trying Alice's number again and being redirected to her voicemail once more.

"Alice, of you get this, call me. I need to know where Bella is."

I snapped the phone shut, staring into space. Who could I call? Who? I briefly thought of Jasper, but dismissed it. Alice wouldn't want to see him, that I was sure of.

I opened my phone to attempt to reach Alice again, when it started ringing.

"Hello?"

"Edward? It's Alice."

I breathed in relief. "Alice, thank god. Where are you?"

The line crackled and then went dead. I frowned as I pulled up my call log, I found the number Alice had called from. It was her own cell, so I tried to reach her again.

Another voicemail. "Damn it!" I shouted into the empty living room.

My phone rang again, this time it was from a landline I didn't recognize.

"Hello?"

"Edward!"

"Alice, what's going on? Is Bella with you."

"Oh, Edward! It's so horrible," Alice sobbed.

My heart stopped for a second then picked back up in double tempo. "Alice, tell me what is going on. Where are you?"

"I'm in the hospital."

"Which one?"

"Grace."

"Sit tight, I'll be there in ten minutes."

I didn't even listen to her response before I shut my phone and went into the bedroom. I yanked on a pair of jeans and a sweater, slipped my bare feet into a pair of trainers and then ran into Emma's room to get her some warm clothes.

I quickly dressed Emma, who hardly woke up enough to realize what was going on. From then on I was on autopilot.

I ran down the stairs to the garage, got in the car and drove to Seattle Grace with only half my mind present for the trip.

I parked the car illegally, but I really couldn't care less. I took Emma out of her booster seat and with her securely in my arms I ran through the sliding doors into the ER.

"Good evening, sir. What can I do for you?"

"I am looking for Bella Swan and Alice Cullen."

"One moment please."

The red headed nurse bowed over her computer, while I nervously tapped my fingers on the desk.

"Alice Cullen is being fitted for a cast at the moment and Bella Swan is still in surgery."

"Surgery?"

My throat squeezed shut when the nurse gave me an apologetic smile. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"My fiancée."

"Why don't you have a seat and I'll see what I can find out about how she's doing, okay?"

I nodded and numbly made my way over to the chairs in the waiting area. My mind was entirely blank. The only thing that registered was that Bella was hurt.

After a few minutes I heard the familiar voices of my father and mother.

"Edward!" my mother sat down beside me and immediately wrapped her arms around me.

"I just got her back, mom. I can't lose her now."

"You won't lose her. She'll be fine."

"How can you say that? I don't even know why she's in surgery or what happened. Alice is getting a cast so I can't even ask her and apparently the nurse that was at the desk didn't know much either."

"Calm down, honey. Just calm down."

My mother helped me focus on my breathing while my father used his medical privileges to get more information. When he returned her looked rather grim.

"Alice has a couple of lacerations on her face and arms, but none of them are bad. Her left arm is broken and they are getting her a cast as we speak. Bella's in a more serious condition. She has a couple of cracked ribs and she has a fracture in her skull. A fragment of her ribs has pierced her lung, that's why she's in surgery now. The head trauma looks like it's going to be fine, but they are worried that the pressure might build and worsen her condition."

I stared at my father, not really comprehending what was going on. "Will she be okay, dad?"

"We need to wait and see, son. I'm sorry."

I buried my face in Emma's hair, inhaling her scent greedily, making sure that she at least was safe.

We waited for half an hour. The nurse I had talked to came back and told me pretty much the same as my father had done, but she at least had the update that the bone fragment had been removed and she was expected to be brought to the ICU within the next hour.

After another fifteen minutes a pale and exhausted Alice joined us in the waiting room. She sat down beside me, lifted my arm and snuggled into my side.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. There was nothing I could do to stop it."

"What happened?" I croaked.

"Bella got beaten up."

"By who?"

"Tanya."

At that moment, the world came to a grinding halt.

* * *

_A/N: Don't kill me for the cliffy. You guys wanted Tanya to suffer, right. I promise, she will suffer. She will suffer immensely._

_I love you all for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. Please let me know what you think._

_Love,_

_Mo_


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, they belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do however own the plot.

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Chapter thirty-two

**Alice's pov**

_I was surprised when Bella called me to hang out, but didn't hesitate to turn my car around and drive out to Edward's house to pick her up. I was looking forward to spending some time getting to know her. We had talked a few times over the past two weeks and after seeing how much Edward changed when he was around her, I was determined to befriend her._

_When I arrived at the apartment Bella told me to come in, but be quiet. I frowned, not really understanding why until I saw my brother sprawled out on the couch with Emma sleeping soundly on his chest. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life._

_We hurried out of the house so we wouldn't wake them. As we got to my car I turned to Bella._

"_I need to thank you."_

"_Whatever for?"_

"_For bringing him back to life. I have never known Edward like he is when he's with you and I imagine that was what he was like before he was adopted into our family."_

"_He's more mature, but pretty much the same, yes. He does get a bit glum more often than he used to. Two days ago he kept going on and on about how I deserved someone better. It's silly ,really, but he just wouldn't listen to reason."_

"_He is stubborn, isn't he?"_

"_Definitely. I'll have to find away through that, though."_

_I smiled. "You've got all the time in the world for that. Come on, we should get going."_

_When we arrived at the bar I usually went to, Bella stopped me from going inside. "Is there some place to talk privately in there? Or at least quietly?"_

"_Sure, they have booths and we're early so I think we can have a bit of peace and quiet for a while."_

_I didn't ask her what she wanted to talk about, because I figured I would hear it soon enough. And sure enough, as soon as we were seated with a glass of wine, she cleared her throat._

"_Ehm, Alice, I don't want you to get upset, but I have some news and you're the last of the family to hear about it. We didn't exactly plan it that way… Anyway that doesn't really matter."_

"_Bella, calm down. I won't bite your head off, I promise."_

"_Edward proposed."_

_I didn't even let her get the rest out. I squealed and threw myself into her lap, hugging her tightly. Bella laughed, obviously relieved that I didn't freak out on being the last to hear._

"_Congratulations," I finally managed to say when I was back in my own seat._

"_Thank you. I wanted to ask your help to plan the wedding. It's going to be a small affair, but I would really like it if you could help me get things exactly the way I want it."_

"_Of course! Why ever would I say no to that?"_

_Bella laughed again. "I didn't expect you to, but you never know."_

_We talked a bit about her ideas and what little Edward had said on __the subject until Bella suddenly blanched._

"_Bella? What's wrong?"_

"_Jasper's here."_

"_So?"_

"_Alice, I know what happened. Edward let it slip when we ran into Jazz in Phoenix."_

"_I hate my brother right now."_

"_Don't. Jasper said something about making up for the mess he made when he was here. Edward assumed he was talking about what happened with you, but he didn't even remember. I'm so sorry."_

_I swallowed hard. I hadn't told anyone how much I was still hurting over that particular mistake and I wasn't planning on showing it while he was in the same bar._

"_It's find Bella. I promise."_

"_No, it's not. He treated you horribly and I would kick his ass if I wasn't so sure he's doing a good enough job of it himself now that he knows."_

"_What other type of mess did he leave?"_

"_He had a girl stay with him for three days before kicking her out of his room," she said under her breath._

"_Oh, great! I feel so incredibly stupid now."_

_Bella looked over towards the door again and then a very un-Bella-like curse escaped her lips. "Things just got from bad to worse."_

"_Why?"_

_I looked up and noticed Tanya Denali strutting her way over to the bar. When she spotted Jasper she smirked and changed her direction._

"_Bella, don't tell me that she was the girl you were talking about."_

"_I wish I could, I really do, but it was her. God, I hate that bitch."_

"_Me too. I wish I could rip out that blond hair."_

_Bella snorted. "Yeah, and then those fake-nails right off her fingers."_

_I shook my head. Tanya was the worst type of woman out there. She was bitchy and spread her legs for anyone who was interested, but she latched on to any guy who would say no to her. Like Edward._

"_Do we have to save Jasper?" I asked cautiously._

_I wasn't sure what answer I was hoping for. On the one hand I wanted to pull Tanya off him by the hair and then kick her ass for putting her hands on him. On the other I thought he deserved her._

"_I'm not sure. Let's get a closer look before we decide."_

_Reluctantly I followed her to the bar. We stayed to Jasper's back, so he wouldn't see us and sat to listen in on their conversation._

"_Tanya, it's a good thing I caught you. Listen, I need to talk to you."_

"_Sure, darling. Shall we take this to your hotel room?"_

"_No. Listen about last time I was here."_

"_We had fun, didn't we?"_

"_We did, but I wanted to apologize."_

"_Whatever for?"_

"_I was a prick when I told you to leave. It was uncalled for and I wanted to say I'm sorry."_

_Tanya placed her hand on his arm and leaned in a little closer. "With talents like yours, I'm not going to complain about anything. There's really no need to apologize."_

"_Well, I wanted to do it anyway."_

_I felt sick when I saw her grinning at him like the Cheshire cat. In that instant I realized I was in far deeper than I ever wanted to be. Disgusted with myself, but more with Tanya I turned towards the bar._

"_Alice? Are you okay?"_

"_No, I'm not. Listen, can we get out of here?"_

"_Yeah, sure. Do you want to go home, or just somewhere else?"_

"_I'm going to need a stiff drink, so another bar is probably better."_

_Bella smiled sadly and stood to get our coats. This somehow lead to tripping and bumping into someone who stumbled forward but fortunately stayed on his feet._

"_O, shit," I heard Bella mutter as she ended up on the floor._

"_Here, let me help you," the blond haired man she ran into offered._

_Bella looked up and I swear her face just went from beet-red to white a sheet. She swallowed hard and allowed the man to help her to her feet._

"_Thanks," she murmured._

_She moved to get away from him, but he kept her hand in his and looked at her like he was desperately trying to remember something._

"_James? Who's this?" The woman who had trailed behind him had a head of wild red hair and a soft lilting voice that belied her fierce expression._

"_I'm not sure," he drawled and then suddenly his eyes lit up in recognition. "Bella!"_

"_James," she greeted tersely._

_I watched the scene unfold, but I was completely lost to what on earth was going on. The woman who had looked so angry at first, now came flying at Bella, hugging her tightly as she squealed like a thirteen year old, despite the fact that she was old enough to be Bella's mother._

"_Oh, honey, I never thought I would see you again? Do you live here now? Did you ever hear anything from Edward?"_

"_Ehm, Victoria, could you please keep it down a bit?"_

_Victoria. James. I gasped as the pieces fell into place. Her and Edward's foster parents. My eyes flew back towards Jasper and Tanya, but they, thank goodness, were still too emerged in their own conversation to notice anything. I then focused on Bella, who still looked like a deer caught in headlights._

"_Bella?" I interceded. "Why don't we go to the booth so we can chat for a bit?"_

_She nodded numbly and with a tight smile lead James and Victoria to the booth. When I slid in beside her I squeezed her knee to reassure her. The smile she sent me proved that it hardly worked._

"_It's so good to see you, Bella. I was worried about you," Victoria spoke softly._

"_I'm doing great, so no more need to worry."_

"_Bella," James began. "I know the way we parted was horrible. I did some very awful things to both you and Edward. I need to apologize for that."_

_Bella's jaw dropped, along with mine. I would've never imagined that man to even have a conscious, let alone show remorse._

"_You have every right to be shocked about that. I deserve it. Just like I deserve your anger and Edward's too. Did you two ever see each other again?"_

_Bella was still too stunned to speak, so I leaned forward. "Hi, I'm Alice. I'm Edward's stepsister. He was adopted by my parents six years ago. Bella is my sister-in-laws cousin, so through an incredible amount of coincidences, or fate which ever you believe in, they eventually found each other again two weeks ago."_

_Victoria started crying. "You were apart for six years?"_

_Bella nodded, but didn't speak, so I decided it was time to step up._

"_Listen, I'm not sure how long you are in town for, but as you can imagine, Bella is a bit shocked at seeing you after six years. Maybe we should arrange for you to meet somewhere in the next couple of days. Edward could come too and you can hash out what you need to."_

_The couple thanked me and agreed to come to my apartment in three days to talk. I wasn't sure whether or not it was for the best, but I figured both Bella and Edward needed to confront their demons from the past so they could move on a little better. I walked James and Victoria outside, so we could exchange details and waved them off feeling strangely off kilter._

_I had this nagging feeling something was about to go wrong, but it had nothing to do with the Hunters. When I got back inside that gut feeling was becoming a reality before my eyes._

_Tanya was standing at the booth in the back facing Bella who was standing there looking like hell on wheels. She was seething, but I was too far away to hear anything. The problem was that I couldn't get to them, the crowd was gathered around them and it was nearly impossible to break through._

_As I finally cleared out the last of the curious onlookers, I almost retched. Tanya had thrown Bella to the ground and was just in the process of jerking her foot back to kick her. I grabbed her arm and pulled her away._

_She whirled around and pushed me into a table. I landed face first on the table and fell in an awkward angle onto my arm. I heard the sickening snap at the same moment that Tanya landed a kick to Bella's ribs._

"_You bitch!" she screeched._

_I had no doubt she was about to say more or kick more, but Jasper's outraged growl silenced her. He pulled her away from Bella, restraining her flailing arms with his._

"_You stupid assholes!" he yelled to the crowd. "Can't you see she's unconscious! Call 911!"_

_Suddenly there was a flurry of action, someone took over Tanya, while Jasper came to check on me._

"_God, Alice. Are you okay?"_

"_Broke my arm," I croaked. "Check on Bella."_

_He lifted me into his arms and sat me down in the booth next to Bella. He hunched over her to feel for her pulse. "It's there, but it's faint," he murmured._

"_She'll be fine," I said, more to myself than anyone else. "We need to call Edward."_

"_We'll call him when we get to the hospital."_

_I wanted to protest more, but the pain from the broken arm pulled me into unconsciousness for a moment._

_When I came to I was in the ambulance, in Jasper's lap._

"_Hey, there," he said quietly._

"_Hi. Are we almost at the hospital."_

"_Yeah, a couple more minutes."_

"_How long was I under?"_

"_About ten minutes. It's a good thing the hospital's so close."_

_I tried to smile, but my face hurt. "You got a few cuts when you zonked out on me. You fell face first on the floor into a few shards of glass. I'm sorry for not catching you."_

"_You can't be everywhere at once, Jasper."_

"_I know, but I wasn't even there to prevent Tanya from going crazy."_

"_What happened to her."_

"_The police took her in, but she was rambling on and on about going to kill the bitch and Bella taking what was hers. She was really losing it."_

"_Why? Why now?"_

"_I don't know. We were talking about her right before I left for the bathroom and she seemed fine then."_

"_What did you say to her?"_

"_I told her why I was so out of it, that I loved Bella but that she had a run in with a blast from the past and that they were together."_

"_Good god, Jasper. Did you say her name?"_

"_Yeah. Why?"_

"_Tanya has always obsessed over Edward. She's been trying to drive them apart ever since they first started dating back in high school. She's gotten worse in her obsession over the years, but we never thought she'd do something like this."_

_Jasper swallowed thickly. "You mean that I might have caused this?"_

"_No! God, no. It's just that we all might have underestimated how sick Tanya really is. She needs to be locked away."_

_Jasper stared at Bella, looking horrified. He couldn't respond to anything I said, though, because we were at the hospital. Bella was wheeled away immediately and Jasper joined me to report on what had happened._

_He waited at my side while I called Edward, he held my hand when I got my cast and he reassured me when I had to go out into the waiting room and tell my family everything that had happened._

"_I'm going to bow out. I don't want to upset Edward anymore than he probably already is, will you please call me and let me know how she's doing and how you're doing?"_

"_Of course."_

_He kissed my forehead and walked off. I stared after him for a moment and then sucked in a deep breath to go and talk to Edward._

"So that's what happened," I concluded.

Edward sat back, staring blindly ahead. "I never ever would have thought she was an honest to god head case. Yeah, sure she was a little delusional, but to go this far," he mused.

"I know. I wish we would've done something about her sooner."

"She'll get what she deserves, Alice. I'll make sure of that," he stated fiercely as he turned his burning eyes back to me. "She is going to pay for everything she ever did to Bella or me."

My father cleared his throat. "Why didn't you tell us she was this bad. We know her parents, we might have gotten a bit more information from them."

Edward shook his head. "It wouldn't have changed a thing dad. Her father moved their family out here because she wanted to be near me. He clearly doesn't have a clue as to what is going on with her."

"Nevertheless, we could have tried something."

"Dad, believe me, if I had just once thought Tanya might turn violent, I would have gone to you sooner. I would have done every possible thing I could to keep her away from me, but it hasn't been until Bella showed up that she started getting worse. Up until then it merely stayed at the occasional come on and lying to her friends that we were dating."

Dad groaned. "It's not important now. We need to worry about Bella first."

"I think I should call the Hunters and tell them the meeting is off."

Edward furrowed his brow in concentration and then with a determined look in his eye said: "Don't cancel. Just tell them I might come alone. I think I need to talk to them."

* * *

_A/N: I hope you haven't been waiting too long. You will hear how Bella is doing in the following chapter and that will also clear up what is going to happen to Tanya. The confrontation with James and Victoria will be tackled in a chapter of it's own. I'm hoping that the people who hated my guts for letting Tanya beat up Bella will forgive me and still stick with the story as it goes along._

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, man there were a lot of you this time. I guess it made an impression, huh?_

_Love to you all,_

_Mo_


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to Mrs. Meyer. The plot is mine, though.

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Chapter thirty-three

**Epov**

I breathed in deeply before pushing the door open to Bella's room. She had been brought to the ICU about fifteen minutes ago and I was finally allowed to see her.

As my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting I felt like someone had ripped my heart from my chest. Bella looked so fragile against the white sheets. She was pale and the bruises stood out starkly against her skin. For the umpteenth time since Alice told me what happened I cursed the people in that bar for not stopping Tanya from doing what she did to Bella. I knew that people in a crowd usually stood back, but it killed me to think that someone could have prevented the injuries that Bella had sustained.

I walked over to her bedside and gently put my hand on her cheek. I wanted her to open her eyes so badly, but they were keeping her sedated until they were sure her head injury wouldn't cause any pressure on her brain.

Taking Bella's hand in mine, I sank down on the chair that was beside her bed. I kissed her knuckles.

"I don't know if you can hear me Bella, but I love you. Get better for me, okay? I can't be without you. Not when I've finally found you again."

I bowed my head and for the very first time in my life I prayed. I begged god to spare her life, told him she still had so much to give to this world, that she was loved and wanted and needed. As I finished my silent prayer I looked up at her face and finally let the tears I was holding back slide down my cheeks.

I sat in silence for a good hour until a nurse came in to tell me my time was up. I reluctantly placed a last kiss to Bella's hand and left the room to go back to my family.

My mother was the first to reach for me. She hugged me like only a mother could, making it impossible to keep from crying again. I sagged into a chair and she simply sat down next to me and comforted me until I calmed down.

"Where's Emma?" I asked hoarsely.

"Alice called Rose and Emmett. They picked them both up. They're staying at our house for now, so we can all be together for as long as we need to be."

I nodded slowly. "Dad? Is there anything you can tell me about her condition?"

"She's doing well. It appears that her head injury is not going to cause any big trouble. They will keep her on the ICU for another twelve to fifteen hours, but if nothing changes for the worse she will be taken upstairs during the day."

The rest of the night passed by with me either trying to get a few minutes of sleep in an uncomfortable chair in the waiting area, or me getting fifteen minutes to sit by Bella's side. The doctor came up to talk to me a couple of times, but having my father with me, gave me more information than he did.

My parents stayed with me all night and only went home at nine a.m. to take a shower and change their clothes. They tried to get me to go with them, but I refused. I would not leave this hospital unless I absolutely had to.

My mother and father returned with Emma and Alice. Rosalie and Emmett would drop by later in the day if Bella was brought up to a regular ward.

I took Emma in my lap. "Where's mommy?" she asked, her lip already quivering.

"Mommy's in a room down the hall. We can go see her in a little while, but I need to tell you something first, okay?"

She nodded, swiping at her tears with one small hand while the other played with my fingers.

"Mommy had an accident last night and she got hurt. So now the doctors have given her something so she can sleep and won't feel so much pain. If we go in to see mommy, you will see a lot of machines and tubes and maybe it's a bit scary, but I want you to know, mommy is going to be fine, okay? Those machines just help her get better."

"Okay, daddy."

I kissed her forehead and cradled her safely in my arms. She rested her small head on my shoulder and let out a deep sigh. Giving her another peck on the top of her head I softly began humming to her. It calmed her sobs down and eventually she began humming along as best she could.

A nurse came up to our group. "Mr. Cullen? You can go see her now."

"Can I take our daughter with me?"

"Of course, just be careful around the equipment."

I told her I would watch Emma the entire time and followed her to the ICU. Emma hid her face in the crook of my neck when we walked in. I decided to let her do this in her own time. I leaned over Bella and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

"Good morning, love. Emma came to see you."

Due to the drugs in her systems, Bella didn't respond, but I hadn't expected her to. I sat down in my chair and took her hand like I had so many times during the past hours.

"Alice is here too with my mother and father. They called your parents. They are going to be here tomorrow. Charlie can start his job in Forks earlier so they'll be staying with my parents until they can get into their new house in Forks."

Emma had finally extracted her face from my shoulder and was staring at her mother with wide eyes. She turned to me. "Is mommy sleeping now?"

"Yes, she is."

"Then why are you talking to her?"

"I hope that she can hear me in her dreams and that will make her a little more comfortable."

"When is she going to wake up, daddy?"

"If everything goes as it's supposed to, mommy will wake up tomorrow."

"She never sleeps that long."

I hugged her a little closer. "She needs to sleep so her injuries heal better, so the doctors are helping her sleep."

"Oh, okay."

~*~

As the day progressed, Bella's outlook improves with big leaps. The fracture in her skull had not created any additional problems and apart from a headache that would last for a couple of weeks, she was going to be fine. They had wheeled her into a regular room far sooner than we had expected and we were now all gathered around.

Rosalie and Emmett were perched on a small stool together, whereas my father had Emma tucked into his side on the empty bed next to Bella's. He was quietly reading her a story. My mother and Alice had gone on a coffee run and were just returning.

"Here you go," Alice murmured as she sat on the arm rest of my chest and shoved a cup of coffee in my hand.

"Thanks, Ali."

"No problem. Listen, Jasper called. He talked to the cops. They will be here to ask Bella some questions when she wakes up. They also requested to speak to you. I told them to come in tomorrow, will that work?"

"Sure. Anything to get that psycho woman out of our lives," I muttered.

Alice patted my hand and hurried back out of the room, no doubt going to call Jasper to inform him. I wondered how things were between them and if Jasper had tried to make things right with her. If he hadn't, I would find him soon and make sure he knew what to do exactly.

I was startled from my thoughts by a moan coming from Bella's lips. My head snapped up so fast I might have given myself whiplash.

"Bella? Love?"

Her eyelids fluttered and then finally I found myself staring into her beautiful brown eyes once again.

"Hi," I whispered.

She smiled a little. "Hi," she croaked back.

"I will go get the doctor," my father said, handing Emma over to Esme and hurrying out of the room.

Bella closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, cringing a little with the pain it caused her.

"How long have I been out?"

"Little over twelve hours."

"Not as bad as I thought. Emma?"

"She's right here," I said as I motioned for Esme to give he to me.

Emma leaned over and very gently placed her hand on Bella's cheek. "Hi, mommy. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, honey, I did. Are you okay?"

"Yes. Grandpa was reading me a story."

"That's nice."

The doctor came in and ushered us all out of the room to examine Bella. Emma was chatting happily that mommy was awake and that everything was going to be wonderful.

"Emma, sweetie. Mommy will have to stay in the hospital for a few days."

"Oh." She tapped her chin with her finger and scrunched up her little nose. "Can I make mommy's room really pretty for when she comes home, daddy?"

"Of course darling. I'll help you with it."

She nodded decidedly and then hurried to the waiting room to get some markers and paper so she could draw mommy's pretty room. I smiled at her enthusiasm. I had a wonderful daughter and I would make damn sure she knew how special she really was.

The doctor came back out and informed us Bella had fallen asleep again, but things were looking very good. I breathed a sigh of relief and after a long talk with my parents, I relented and went home with Rosalie and Emmett to get a shower and pack some things for me and Emma to stay with my parents for the time being, along with the rest of the family. Alice and my parents stayed behind with Emma.

"Edward, I wanted to apologize again for the things I've said. I was really being stupid. I can see that you really love her," Rosalie said quietly as we got in the car.

"It's fine, Rose. We'll find a way to get along."

She smiled gratefully and then turned to stare out the window. When we pulled up in the parking lot of my building I felt a strange tug in my gut. It was almost like the dread I had felt the previous night when I discovered that Bella wasn't home yet. I tried to shrug it off, but as the elevator climbed, the feeling got stronger.

"I have this strange feeling something is about to go wrong," I muttered. "Rose, will you do me a favour and wait out here when me and Emmett go inside?"

"Sure. Why, though?"

"Just a gut feeling. I had it last night right before Alice called from the hospital."

She nodded and stayed back while I opened the door. As soon as I stepped in I was attacked by a small body with strawberry blond hair.

"There you are! Finally! I was so worried. Where were you honey?" she screeched in my ear.

This woman was certifiably insane! I pulled her off me and took in her haggard appearance. Her hair was a total mess, her make-up smeared and her dress was crumpled. Her eyes were completely frantic and insane looking, so I carefully stepped away from her. I could feel Emmett behind me, but I wasn't sure what the hell I should do.

"I finally got rid of that, bitch," she muttered. "It wasn't even hard, you know?"

She was flailing her arms around and pacing back and forth in my small hallway.

"What are you talking about, Tanya?"

"Bella, of course! Ugh that bitch just wouldn't let up and now that I'm pregnant I could no longer stand her stupid crush fro you, so I decked her. She just smacked her head to the ground. It was so fast and then that stupid blond haired guy had to come and stop me from really making myself clear."

"Tanya?"

"What? She deserved it for stealing my man away from me. She has always been after you. Even when we moved out here, Edward. She was always there, lurking around the corner, ready to go after you when opportunity knocked."

Emmett snorted behind me. "She's bat-shit-crazy," he whispered.

"I know, call the police. I'll try to talk her down."

Emmett stepped back out into the hall and I could hear him talking into his phone. I quickly tuned him out and focused back on the crazy woman in front of me.

"Tanya, you need to calm down."

"I will now that you are here. But, you have to come in. Don't just stand there, come greet your wife."

I was sure my jaw was unhinged. "You're not my wife, Tanya."

"Yes I am! We got married last year! Don't play dumb with me, Edward."

I began to fear for my own safety now and prayed the cops would be here soon. I had totally tuned Tanya out until she started snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"Edward? Where are you in your head? You're not thinking about that skank, are you?"

"Her name is Bella and she's not a skank." Bad move.

"I knew it! You are screwing her aren't you!? Does this marriage mean nothing to you, Edward?! I hate you! I hate her! I wish I killed her when I got the chance!" she hollered.

_Please, please let the police be here._

"Tanya, you can't kill her."

"And why not?

"You just can't go around killing people."

Tanya suddenly looked different. Her gaze became wicked and defiant and I knew I had made the biggest mistake of my life by telling her that. She stepped back into the living room and whirled around to get to the kitchen. I knew I should probably run, but I couldn't move. She came back with a big knife and stood in the doorway to the kitchen, looking me up and down.

"If I can't have you all to myself, then no one else can," she whispered.

She took a step towards me and then everything happened really fast. While Tanya made herself up to lunge for me, I was pulled back by a police officer who had his gun drawn and was screaming at her to drop the knife.

For a second Tanya looked confused, then as quick as the confusion had set in, determination came back into her eyes as she set the blade to her own wrist. I turned away from the scene and threw myself back out the door and into the hallway. Emmett was the one to catch me as I stumbled.

He held my shaking body while I desperately tried to control my breathing. I noticed Rosalie a few feet away, looking horrified, but I didn't get a chance to ask her if she was okay. The police officer that had pulled me away, now came out with a struggling and screeching Tanya. There was no blood, so I figured he had gotten to her before she could actually cut herself.

There was another officer that now came down to help his colleague to restrain Tanya while a third came up to me and asked me to come down town with him to give them my statement.

"My fiancée is in the hospital. Can I go to her first?"

"I'm afraid it's best if you come with us right now, while it's still fresh in your memory."

I wanted to protest, but was stopped by Rosalie. "Edward, I will go to Bella and tell her what happened. You do whatever you need to to get that psycho behind bars. She needs to be pulled off the street, Edward."

I nodded and allowed the policeman to guide me down to the cruiser that was waiting for us. He explained to me what I could expect, but I didn't hear anything. All I could think of was that crazed look in Tanya's eyes and what could have happened last night if Jasper hadn't stopped her. I could have lost Bella for good and the thought alone made me want to curl up in a ball and weep.

"Are you okay?" the man beside me asked.

"No. She was the one that got my fiancée in the hospital. I was thinking about what could have happened. It makes me sick to think I was so close to losing her forever."

"Wait a minute. Did she get hurt last night? Bella Swan?"

"Yes."

"Holy shit! I'm Seth Clearwater. My sister a very good friend of hers, but I didn't know she had a fiancée."

I blinked. "Er...yeah it's a long story. We knew each other from Phoenix. We fell in love, dated and then something happened and we lost touch. I only found out recently that we have a daughter together and well, we're together again."

"You'll have to tell me more about it when we get this mess sorted."

I nodded and stepped into the passenger seat of the police cruiser. As we drove off I caught a last glimpse of Tanya in the back of the other car and my stomach churned again. I would send that woman to jail if it was the last thing I did.

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_A/N: Yeah, Tanya is totally mental and she is likely to get locked up for good. It's time for better news during next chapter don't you think?_

_We still have the meeting with the Hunters ahead of us, so hang in there ;)_

_Thanks again for al lthe lovely reviews and I hope to see more of those for this chapter._

_Love, Mo_


	34. Chapter 34

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I own the plot.

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Chapter thirty-four

**Bpov**

I saw flashes of what happened last night. James and Victoria. Alice. Jasper and Tanya talking. Tanya up in my face about me staying away from her husband. Tanya shoving me so hard I tripped and hit my head on the ground. The sharp pain in my ribs before it all went black.

Then hearing Edward talk beside me. Waking up to a room filled with my family and friends. It was all so surreal. I knew what had happened to me at the hands of Tanya and I vaguely remembered her crazed ramblings of last night, but I couldn't put it together in an actual coherent memory.

When I woke up a second time I was alone with Esme. "Where is everyone?" I croaked.

"Carlisle took the girls out for lunch. He's taking me back something, but he thought it would be good for Emma to get a little breather."

I nodded weakly. "Edward?"

"He went home to take a shower and get changed. He's taking some of his and Emma's things to our house. We're all staying together until this mess is sorted."

"That's a good idea. What happened to Tanya?"

"I don't know. The police were here an hour ago to talk to you, but they were called away on an emergency."

"I hope they help her. She has some serious issues."

Esme chuckled softly. "Yes, I take it she does. How are you feeling sweetheart?"

"I'm okay. It hurts, but not as bad as I expected and I'm a bit fuzzy on the details. I can only remember flashes of last night and this morning."

"I take it that's normal."

I nodded. She sat back in her chair and neither of us spoke. We really didn't need to, we were both aware of the danger Tanya posed and how close she had actually come to inflicting lasting harm on our lives.

After a few minutes a very flustered looking Rosalie bust into my room.

"Rose? What's the matter."

She was breathing heavily, holding her hand up for me to give her a minute. Once she had controlled her breathing she sat on the edge of the bed and took my hand.

"I don't want you to freak out, but when we arrived at Edward's apartment Tanya was there."

I clasped my hand over my mouth to stop the scream that was building in my chest from coming forth.

"Calm down. Nothing serious happened. She just ranted some seriously insane shit and she threatened to harm Edward. The cops arrived just in time to pull him out of the way. She then tried to slit her own wrists, but the cop was faster than her. She's in custody now, but I suspect they will be locking her up in the mental ward before the day is over. She was completely delusional, Bells. I was only out in the hallway, but it made me sick to my stomach."

"Nah, that's the baby's job," I joked.

Esme gasped. "Thanks a lot, Bells. I wanted to tell momma Cullen she was going to be a grandma," Rosalie chided, while a joyful smile spread across her face.

The news was enough to eradicate all things concerning Tanya. We talked about the baby until Carlisle, Alice and Emma returned and they too were told about the newest addition to the Cullen family.

Emma's eyes had gone wide for a moment and then she had clambered up on the bed next to me and regarded me with a very stern expression.

"You better get me a brother or sister, too," she had scolded me, which in turn caused the entire room to erupt into laughter.

Emma, who was already stretched to her limit with all of the changes in her life, did not appreciate the humour at her expense. I could see this would result in one of her, very rare, tantrums and I wasn't in the shape to handle with it, so I pulled her into my side and whispered softly to her.

"They aren't laughing at you, sweetheart. It's just a bit soon for me and daddy to have a baby. We have to be together a bit longer and I think this time we should wait until we are married, what do you say? Do you want me to get married with a big belly?"

Emma pursed her lips and then reluctantly started smiling. "You're right. But I want one eventually."

"If we're lucky you will have one, I promise."

She relaxed into me, dropping the subject. I was relieved I had managed to talk my way out of this one, but I was sure she needed a little more peace and quiet for the next couple of days, otherwise she was going to get overloaded. I just wished I could take her home with me and spend a couple of quiet days with just her and Edward.

The doctor came in not too much later and ushered everyone out. He told them to go home, I would need my rest. Emma was crying when Esme carried her out of the room and it broke my heart. The doctor didn't comment on my quiet tears, he just smiled apologetically and checked my progress.

I didn't get to see Edward until the following day. He had shown up at the hospital, but had been turned away because I was finally sleeping. But when he finally was allowed the following day, he quickly crawled into bed with me and held me as tight as my injuries would allow. We needed the closeness. We needed the reassurance that we were together and that we were both safe.

The following week past by reasonably quick. Tanya's arraignment was scheduled and our meeting with the Hunters got cancelled. Apparently James and Victoria didn't wish to mother us now that I was in the hospital. I wasn't sure what to make of the meeting in the first place, so I didn't really care that it had been postponed until further notice.

Edward was sweet and caring and he took my advice to give Emma some quiet time. He took his time with her every night after they had visited with me and he either read a story to her, or they practised the piano together. He was so proud of her and the way she took to the piano that it made my heart swell with love and pride for them both. They were really great with each other.

My injuries were healing well and by the time Friday rolled around again, the doctor estimated I could be home, albeit on bed rest, in another couple of days. The entire family was relieved. Renee and Charlie had been staying with the Cullens and came in time and again telling me they loved my new family, but they were a bit too much for them to handle all the time. I had laughed at that. Yes, I had known Rosalie and Emmett for years, but I could only imagine that putting them together with Alice, Edward and Emma might get a bit too crowded for a couple that was only used to me and Emma before. Thankfully Esme and Carlisle were there to keep the boisterous group in check.

Part of me regretted the chance to see it all happen. I wanted to be there, while the family bonded together, while they lived in that big house together, but it simply wasn't meant to be. They were only there because I was here and it would all change once I got out of the hospital.

~*~

I got discharged on the day of Tanya's arraignment. I thought it was rather ironic that I was released from my temporary confinement in the hospital, while Tanya was preparing for a long term confinement, most likely in a hospital as well.

Edward came to pick me up alone. He told me he left Emma with the rest of the family so I could get settled before things got to crowded at our house. I was disappointed, but knew deep down that he was right about it. I still had cracked ribs, no matter how nicely they were healing and I did suffer a head injury that wasn't completely healed yet. I needed to take it easy. It didn't mean I liked it, though.

When we pulled up to the apartment building, I really felt like I was coming home. Harry held the door open for us and welcomed me back with a warm smile and reassurance that if we ever needed him, to just call down and he'd help us out any which way he could.

Edward told me to wait out in the hall for a minute. Frowning, I stood in the hallway, waiting for Edward to come back out and let me in. It didn't take him long. He was smiling as he stepped around me.

"Edward, what are you up to?"

"Patience, love," he murmured before lowering a satin sash before my eyes.

He softly tied it and asked if I could still see something. I grumbled that I couldn't, earning a chuckle from Edward.

"It'll only take a minute, love. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do, but you know I don't like surprises."

"You'll love this one, I promise."

I really wanted to protest, but decided it was in my best interest to just follow him and get the surprise part over with. Edward took my hands and lead me into the house. I could hear some shuffling and murmuring, but I couldn't make out the individual voices. Edward eventually stopped me and walked around me to untie the sash. He held it to my eyes while he leaned in to whisper in my ear.

"This is Emma's welcome home gift for you. I just helped her realize it."

I nodded slowly, awaiting the moment he would pull away the fabric so I could see what all the fuss was about. When he finally did, I had to blink at the lights a couple of times before I could see what was before me.

I gasped at the sight of mine and Edward's bedroom. The walls were a soft powder grey-blue and the ceiling had been painted in a creamy white. The curtains were a slightly darker blue than the walls, while the shutters had the same creamy colour as the ceiling. Our bed was covered in a new set of blue and white sheets that were sprinkled with embroidered flowers, making it the perfect mix between masculine and feminine.

It was then that I noticed a collection of pictures that were hanging on the wall above the bed. They were all black and whites, but as soon as I got a closer look, I recognized several of the pictures as ones I had in an album back home.

"How did you get those?" I whispered as I turned back to Edward. He was smiling warmly at me.

"I got most of them from Renee and Charlie. They had most of your things shipped out here after we had visited them in Phoenix. And I got a couple that were made at Rose and Em's wedding."

"And Emma thought all this up?"

"Yes, with some help from my mother and Alice. But she picked out the colours and the pictures. She even thought it was better to get them all printed in black and white so the colours wouldn't interfere with the rest of the room. But the most important gift, is lying on the bed, love."

I gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning back to the bed and grabbed the flat, rectangular package of the bed. I sank down on the mattress and laid the pack on my knees.

"I think Emma needs to be here when I open it, don't you?"

Edward smiled and left me alone in our new bedroom to get our daughter. They came back, both wearing identical smiles.

"Hey, sweetie," I murmured as Emma climbed up on the bed next to me. "Thank you for your wonderful gift."

"You need to open this one first, okay."

"Okay."

Edward sat down on my other side and nudged me to open the gift.

When I tore the paper off, I noticed it held to picture frames. I turned them over so I could see the pictures inside. One was a recent picture of Emma I had never seen before and the other was one of Edward and Emma together.

"Did you have these taken?"

"Yes and in a few weeks we're going back with you so we can have a picture taken with all of us," Emma enthused, bouncing on the bed slightly.

"This is the perfect welcome home gift, sweetheart. Thank you so much."

"Daddy helped a lot and grandma Esme and Aunty Alice."

"I'm going to have to thank them then, don't I?"

Emma nodded vehemently and grabbed my hand. I laughed as my suspicions were confirmed. The rest of the family was waiting for me in the living room.

~*~

The living room was filled with our family and a couple of friends I hadn't expected to see there. Jacob and Leah were there as well as Kate and Garrett. After I had greeted my parents and the Cullens, Kate came up to me.

"Bella, how are you? I can't believe my sister did this to you. I was so worried about you after I heard."

"I'm fine, Kate. I'm healing and it looks like there will be no permanent reminders of what Tanya did to me."

She hugged me gingerly. "Still, Bella. I wish I would have noticed something sooner, that I had paid more attention to her when we were at our parents' house."

"Kate, you couldn't have known. Nobody knew how bad it was until something inside her snapped. Please don't blame yourself."

Kate looked like she was about to object, but Garrett stopped her. "Kate, sweetie, you didn't know. No one did. Besides, this is a welcome home party and not a let's-relive-the-night-Tanya-went-crazy-party."

I snorted and that bust into a fit of giggles. Kate stared at me incredulously, before she too started laughing. Garrett winked at me and left me and Kate to ourselves. When we recovered from our laughter, Kate hugged me again.

"It's good to see you're doing well, Bella."

"Thanks, Kate. I shouldn't have laughed so hard though. My ribs aren't quite up to it yet."

"So, how are things with you and Edward?"

"They're great. We're going to get married."

"What?!"

"You, heard me. He proposed and I said yes, so we're getting married."

Kate stared, mouth agape, for a couple of minutes before she finally composed herself and started grilling me on my thoughts of the wedding. Leah soon joined us, urging me to explain my sudden life-altering decisions.

When I finished with the brief review of the story of Edward's proposal, they both glanced over at him with adoring smiles on their faces.

"He is so perfect for you," Leah said after she stopped staring at him. "Only you could live with someone that perfect."

"I couldn't agree more," Kate agreed.

"He's not that perfect," I muttered.

"He is for you," they exclaimed at the same time.

The three of us burst into laughter again, drawing the attention of the others in the room. Alice came over with Emma on her hip.

"This one wants her mommy."

I reached out for Emma, but my ribs still hurt a little bit too much to carry her. Instead I sat down on the couch and took her into my lap.

"Did you help plan the party too, sweetie?"

She nodded. "But it was aunty Alice's idea."

I smiled, looking around for the little pixie. My eyes settled on her and I was surprised to see her talking to Jasper. I hadn't even seen him come in. He wasn't there when I came out of the bedroom, that was for sure.

I watched them silently, trying not to be too obvious about it. Apparently I wasn't very good at that, because Edward sat down beside me and nodded his head towards them.

"They've talked about what happened. Looks like they are trying to be friends at least."

"Did you talk to Alice about it after the night we ran into him and Tanya at the bar?"

"Yes, I did. She wasn't very forthcoming about her thoughts, but I got the idea she is far more interested in Jasper than she let on."

"Uh oh. Is matchmaker Cullen out again?" I joked.

He snickered. "It might sound ridiculous, but I have a feeling about those two. They might just work together."

I rolled my eyes, laughing. "You are such a sucker for romance, Cullen. Really, where did that come from? You were a bit mushy when we were together in Phoenix, but never this bad."

Edward shrugged, glanced back at Alice and Jasper for a moment and then turned back to me with a thoughtful expression on his face. "I am happy with you and I only want to see other people happy too. If I can help them by giving them a little push in the right direction, why shouldn't I do it?"

"It sounds reasonable enough. As long as you are sure it won't hurt them, I am just going to let you do whatever you think is best."

"Hmmm... Right now I think kissing you is best and after that I am going to put our daughter to bed, because she's out cold."

Sure enough, Emma was sound asleep in my arms. When I looked back up, Edward had moved closer. He cupped my face in his hands.

"Welcome home, love," he whispered before softly placing his lips on mine.

I groaned softly. I needed to be alone with him, but instead I was stuck in a room full of people.

"Tomorrow night after Emma has gone to bed, you and I are going to really make sure I feel welcomes home," I purred.

Edward growled softly into my ear. "You can bet on that."

_

* * *

_

_A/N: It's a bit of a filler chapter, but I needed it to get to the next stage. There will be a confrontation with the Hunters, but with all the drama going on, I need the two of them to come back together. To get back to who they are and the love they share._

_Please let me know what you think._

_Love,_

_Mo_


	35. Chapter 35

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, the plot belongs to me.

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**

Chapter thirty-five

**Epov**

After I took Emma to bed, I rejoined the party. I found Bella with Emmett and Garrett, who were goading her about all the hearts she was going to break as a teacher.

"Come on, Bells," Emmett said teasingly. "You have to admit that you appeal to your students. You're young, you're beautiful and you are to sweet."

"Emmett, stop it! I am not going to break any hearts, if anyone is, it'll be Edward," she stated, smirking up at me from her perch on a kitchen chair.

I held up my hands in defence. "Hey, none of that! I have already worked a year at that school and as far as I can tell there have been no broken hearts yet."

Garret laughed and spoke up. "That's not what I heard, Edward."

"What are you talking about Gar?"

"Well, I have had at least two students in the past year that were fawning over you. I overheard them talking about you on several occasions and they were devastated when they realized you wouldn't be teaching their music classes. So that counts as two broken hearts."

"I didn't know about that. Besides, Bella will break more hearts than me."

Bella stared up at me in shock. "You jerk! How can you say that?"

"Simple, love. You are the most beautiful woman I know and you have a kind heart. There will be plenty of young impressionable boys that will not be able to resist your charms. I am willing to bet that you will have had at least five boys that have propositioned you by the end of the first semester."

"Oooh!," Emmett interjected. "I am willing to take that bet! I say ten."

"Eight."

"You guys are incorrigible. I am saying none," Bella said while glaring at each of us.

"Wait, are you betting on this with us?" Emmett asked incredulously.

"Yeah, maybe it'll teach you never to bet against me."

"Hey, you haven't won yet!"

Bella rolled her eyes at Emmett and then turned to me. "Seeing as you're the one who started this bet nonsense, what are we betting for?"

"Uh. I don't know? The one farthest off buys the others a drink?"

"Sounds good, we can make a night out of it," Emmett said, nodding his approval.

"Good," Bella murmured and then turned in her chair. "Alice!"

"What do we need Alice for?"

"We need a objective person to note the bets we made and then at the end of the semester to determine who is the loser of this thing."

Alice bounded up and sat in the chair next to Bella. "Hey, Bell. What's up?"

"We need your objective help in a bet."

"What bet?"

"The guys seem convinces that there will be several boys to come up to me and proposition me my first semester of teaching. I say there will be none. We decided to make a little bet on it."

"Okay. I'll get a pen and a piece of paper so we can make this official."

With a short laugh and a shake of her head she went to get her materials to record our bet.

"Why on earth are we doing this so officially?" I asked Bella, genuinely curious.

She shrugged. "I know Emmett. He's a sore loser when it comes to bets, so that's why I have taken to having it all written down up front whenever I bet against him."

Garrett and I laughed so hard we were soon gasping for air. Bella had chuckled along with us, while Emmett pouted like a little kid who had been scolded by his mother. Alice came back and quickly jotted down the details to the bet and soon we were joined by Rose and Kate as well.

"Hey," Alice chimed," We should do a night out on the town together! I would love to go to a club or bar with this group."

I looked down at Bella, who's eyes were starting to shimmer in excitement. "I haven't gone to a club in such a long time! Last time was with you Rose, remember?"

Rose snorted. "Yeah and that slimy guy who wouldn't leave us alone all night. What was his name again, Laurent? Yeah, that was it."

Bella nodded vigorously. "I think this was about two years ago, a few weeks before Rose and Em moved out here to Seattle. We went out, just the two of us, sort of as a goodbye to going out together."

Rose continued the story. "So, of course, I forced Bella to get all dolled up with me and we took a cab to this club down town. We wanted to go dancing and we both knew that after a long nigh at the club we wouldn't be wanting to drive, hence the cad. Nothing to do with alcohol."

"Or, at least," Bella added. "That wasn't the plan up front. When we got there, the bartender offered us a couple of drinks. We declined."

Rosalie nodded and went on. "So, anyway... We got there, got ourselves a couple of sodas and went out on the dance floor to boogie." She snickered at her own words. "We were having fun for a couple of up-tempo songs, just dancing and pointing out the skanks and geeks and hotties to each other. Simply put, we were having a blast. At some point we needed more drinks, so we made our way over to the bar and ordered a couple more sodas. The bartender insisted that time that we take a cocktail on him instead, trying to smooth talk us into it by telling us we were the most beautiful girls in the place that night. After a couple of minutes arguing with the guy, he simply put the drinks in front of us and walked away."

"We eyed the glasses for a second, but since we saw him make them right in front of us, we decided it couldn't hurt to drink them. One cocktail became two, became three and since neither of us drinks very often, we were very quickly starting to get drunk."

Bella was laughing hard now and tried desperately to control her breathing. "So," she said. "When the guy behind the bar noticed how far along we were he decided to make us virgin cocktails. Simply some juices and ice mixed together. But, the the untrained eye it looked like we were still downing large amounts of alcohol. Laurent was one of those untrained eyes."

"He had been staring at us for a while and Rose and I both tried to ignore him as best we could. We were still checking out the crowds and laughing our asses off at some of the people that were standing around."

Rose interjected again. "That Laurent dude, decided it was time to move in, so he came sauntering over. Man, that guy was creepy. He had this long, slicked back hair, pulled into a ponytail and he was wearing a half buttoned shirt and waaay too tight leather pants. He came up to us and signalled the bartender to come over. He leaned into Bella and whispered something in her ear."

Bella groaned. "He said something along the lines of an angel falling from heaven and landing in his lap. It was disgusting and he smelled really, really bad."

Rose chuckled again and continued. "So, he said that to Bella and she visibly recoiled from his advances, but the guy couldn't take no for an answer, so he whispered something else and then suddenly Bella's stomach finally realized the amount of alcohol she had consumed. She puked all over the guy. You should have seen his face, it was hilarious!"

The group that had been listening burst into laughter, me included as the girls kept giggling at the memories of that night.

It wasn't long after that we decided to call it a night. Bella was exhausted and she was starting to get really sore, so I made sure she went to bed before I thanked everyone for coming and escorting them out the door, except for Alice, who was spending the night in the guest room because she had been drinking and didn't want to go home alone.

Charlie and Renee were the last ones to leave. When we got down to their car, Charlie pulled me aside for a moment.

"Edward, I have been a bit worried about how quick everything with you and Bella developed, but I've had a chance to watch you together over the past ten days and I just wanted to tell you that you have my full support and blessing for marrying her. I know I'm not her real father, but she feels like a real daughter to me and I just want to let you know that I think you are perfect for each other."

I swallowed hard to keep from crying. I was completely overwhelmed by Charlie's honest admission. "Thank you," I croaked. "It really means a lot to me that you said that."

He nodded, patted my shoulder and turned around to leave with Renee. She winked at me form her side of the car before sliding into her seat. I stared after them, lost in thought.

"Are you okay?" Alice voice startled me out of my musings.

I whirled around to find her standing on the doorstep, looking worried. "You were gone so long, I decided I would check on you."

"I'm fine. Charlie just surprised me, that's al."

She nodded, not looking convinced. I simply smiled and put an arm around her tiny shoulders.

"So, sis. I noticed you and Jasper were talking rather amiably. Anything you want to tell me?"

She rolled her eyes. "We're just trying to get to know each other a little."

"You looked like you wanted to know him inside and out," I observed quietly.

"Oh, Edward. I don't know what to do! I am in deeper than I ever wanted to be and now that he's here, I'm getting in deeper and deeper and in the mean time he's still heartbroken over Bella."

Tears slowly trailed down her cheeks, her big grey eyes shining with all the contrasting emotions she was dealing with. I reached out and wiped the tears away. I cupped her face in my hands, looking her sternly in the eye.

"Alice Cullen," I started. "You are the one person I know who never let anything get her down. No matter how much shit you had to deal with over the years, you always stayed positive and now this one guy is managing to do what everything else hasn't. Is he really worth this much heartache?"

She blinked, sniffled and then straightened her posture. "You're right. He's just a guy that I like. If he doesn't want me, I will get over him. I am not going to let him bring me down."

I could see the fire get back into her eyes as she spoke, making me breathe a sigh in relief. It was the truth. Alice had never been one to lie down and take it. She was a fighter and a born optimist. Even when her biological parents had locked her up in a dark cellar because they believed she was the devil's child, she still saw the good in life. In the years that I've known her she had her off days, but in general Alice was tough as nails. She could bear anything and everything life threw at her. So seeing her depressed, even in the slightest, made me worry about her.

"Come on, let's get one more drink before we go to bed."

She nodded and allowed me to pull her along back into the apartment.

~*~

The following day, Bella, Emma and I spent in our bed, watching movies and talking. Alice had left early in the morning to go to work, despite her major hangover. She promised Bella to come back later in the week to help plan the wedding, something Bella had asked her to do. Emma was also eager to help us decide on things for the wedding and by dinnertime we had a whole list of things we had decided we wanted to have and things were would veto if they were mentioned.

"Do you girls want to go out to dinner, tonight?" I asked.

Emma nodded and Bella murmured a quiet okay. We each needed to wash up and get dressed, because we were all still in our pj's and after an entire day in bed we needed to freshen up badly.

We were out of the house and into the car half an hour later. Emma had requested pizza, so I drove to La Bella Italia. Bella's face lit up when she noticed where we had pulled up.

"Fond memories?" I asked, smirking slightly.

"Of course. That night was amazing. We do need a couple more of those, though. I feel like we've skipped so much."

"I know, love. Let's agree to go on a couple more dates soon, okay? We can get a babysitter for Emma without any trouble, so it shouldn't be a problem to clear an evening for just us."

She kissed me softly. "That's a perfect idea. I need to feel more of us before the whole wedding planning starts to get into gear."

I nodded. "Me too. We'll do that. We'll make time for us."

Dinner was wonderful. The food was good and we were having a great time as a family. The whole drama with Tanya was momentarily forgotten.

"Edward? What do you think about James and Victoria wanting to talk to us?" Bella asked out of the blue.

"I'm not sure. On one hand I want to know what they have to sat and on the other I don't feel the need to ever see them again."

Bella looked thoughtful, considering her words before she spoke them. "I think for some reason they are looking for closure. The thing is, I'm not sure we can trust James to do this for a good reason. He seemed to have some ulterior motive."

"We'll see when the day comes, if it ever does."

We dropped the subject in favour of something lighter. After dinner we drove home in a comfortable silence. Emma was sleeping in her car seat and Bella was softly humming along with the music. We were almost home, when Bella turned to me.

"I need to tell you something," she said softly.

I looked at her and nodded, waiting somewhat anxiously on what was coming.

"You are a wonderful father. You took great care of Emma while I was in the hospital. Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, silly girl. She's my daughter, it's natural for me to care for her."

"No, it isn't. There was a girl in my class in Phoenix. She got pregnant her junior year of college. Her boyfriend was all for it when she was carrying, but a few weeks after their son was born, he bailed on her. He never even picked the baby up once. So, I know it isn't always natural to care for a child that wasn't planned."

"Bella, come on. A guy like that doesn't deserve a girlfriend, let alone a kid. She's better off without him. But in the majority of cases, a man loves their children just as much as a woman does."

She smiled at me, but didn't respond. I could see in her eyes that she was still thinking about it though. I decided to drop it. She would not let go of this idea, not matter what I said. I knew her well enough to know that.

As we drove up to the house, I was starting to get excited. Tonight I was going to have her naked in my arms after what seemed like an eternity and I couldn't wait. I knew we would have to be careful, with her injuries still healing, but I wanted, no needed to be with her tonight. I glanced at Bella and I noticed that she too was shifting in her seat, her eyes glistening with barely disguised excitement.

I chuckled at our eagerness. It was like we were teenagers all over again. Emma slept through the trip up to the flat and only woke long enough for me to get her pyjamas on and tuck her in. She gave me a sleepy smile and a peck on the cheek before she was back to sleep. I slipped out of her room, leaving her night light on and praying silently that she wouldn't wake up any time soon.

Bella was waiting in our room, sitting on the edge of our bed in a satin robe that had slid open to reveal her long creamy legs and just a hint of the swell of her breasts. She eyes me hungrily and crooked a finger, beckoning me over.

I groaned at er devious expression and stepped closer to her. She reached up and made quick work of the buttons of my shirt, pushing the material down my arms. The shirt fluttered to the floor, as her hands slowly explored my bare chest.

"I long for you," she whispered. "I need you, so badly."

I leaned forward to capture her lips with mine. I slid my tongue over her lips and as soon as they parted I devoured her. I invaded her mouth hungrily, my hands tangling in her long soft curls.

I pulled away to look at her flushed face, heavily lidded eyes and sinfully sultry smile. I released her and hurriedly took of my pants and underwear. She mewled softly as I stood naked before her, her small hands gripping my hips, nails digging into the flesh.

"I want that," she murmured, before bending forward and sucking the head of my erection into her mouth.

I grunted a curse and let my head drop backwards as her hot mouth slid over me. I was so aroused, I had a hard time fighting off an orgasm. I pulled away from her, earning a very disappointed whimper.

"My love, I love what you are doing, but if I don't stop now, I will come in your mouth and I don't want that. I want to come inside you."

Her eyes darkened even more. "I want that too," she whispered hoarsely.

I smirked. "But before I bury myself deep within you, I am going to drink you in, love. I need to taste all of you."

I eased her back onto the bed, pulling off her robe as I went. All she had on underneath as a lacy pair of boyshorts. I groaned as I took in her sight of her. She was as exquisite as the first time. I hovered over her, kissing and licking my way down her neck, her collarbones to her breasts and then lower to her sweet and hot core.

My lips parted to suck her bundle into my mouth. She bucked up against me, groaning as the motion hurt her ribs.

"Careful, darling,"I drawled. "I don't want you getting hurt."

She nodded and tangled her hands in my hair, pressing me back down between her thighs. I trapped her hips to the mattress with one of my arms while I pushed two fingers of my free arm into her. Getting comfortable on the bed, I settled in to lick her thoroughly.

"I want you to come on my fingers, love. On my face."

"Oh, god! Edward...Ungh!"

She shivered beneath my hands as I relentlessly attacked her and soon she was clenching around me, crying out my name in her beautiful climax. She looked glorious as she came down from her high.

"Please," she whispered. "I want you inside me."

I crawled up her body and positioned myself so I could slide into her easily. But just as I was about to inch into her, we heard the panicked cries coming from Emma's room.

* * *

_A/N: I'm not trying to be mean, honest. I'll make it up to Edward next chapter, I promise._

_Once again I need to thank you all for your amazing reviews. I've gone over 300 and it seriously blew me away! I love you guys for it. I hope you will do me the honour of receiving reviews for this chapter as well. _

_Short question: if I were to change this into an original story, meaning creating my own characters instead of the Twilight crew, would you still think this is a good story? (Just curious.)_

_Love, Mo_


	36. Chapter 36

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, the plot belongs to me.

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**

Chapter thirty-six

**Bpov**

**September 3rd 2007**

I was nervously shuffling the papers on my desk around. Today was my first day as an English teacher and I was terrified of screwing up. I had gone in early, to get acquainted with the school and especially my classroom. Edward had chuckled at the idea, but he thankfully hadn't made any remarks to make me feel silly.

The past month had gone by in a blur. The night after my welcome home party, Edward and I didn't get to finish what we had started, because Emma had a nightmare that kept her up the rest of the night. I made it up to him the following day when Emma finally crashed. Emma had nightmares about me getting hurt, or being in the hospital for about two more weeks and it took a toll on all of us.

It wasn't until after Tanya's trial, ending up with her locked up in a mental facility for a minimum of two years, that Emma's nightmares started fading and when we went to Forks for a week to visit my parents in their new home, she stopped having them all together.

We spent some time on the alterations to the apartment and by now it felt like it was ours and not just Edward's. Emma felt right at home and we grew very tight as a family. Our bond had become inseparable.

Edward and I managed to sneak in a couple of date nights, using the a few of the many offers from our family and friends to watch Emma. Last Friday was the most recent and the memory of that night was very dear to me.

_**August 31**__**st**__** 2007**_

_Edward came back from dropping off Emma at his parents, while I was still in the shower._

"_Bella?" he called out from outside the door._

"_Yes?"_

"_I am going to prepare some things for tonight and then I'll come back to pick you up, okay?"_

"_Sure. How long will you be?"_

"_I'll be here at seven."_

"_Okay. See you later. Love you."_

"_Love you too."_

_I heard the front door shut a few minutes later. I tried not to get too disgruntled about Edward trying to surprise me. After all these years I still had trouble accepting surprises. It was crazy really, but I just didn't like the unexpected._

_After I was finished with my shower, I decided to really doll myself up for tonight. The last two dates Edward and I had gone on, I hadn't had the time to really make a big deal out of it and I wanted tonight to be different._

_So I massaged my skin with rose-scented body lotion and straightened my hair. It tied it into a tight ponytail low in my neck, wrapping a strand of hair around the rubber band, so it wouldn't show. When the was done, I walked over to the closet to look for a good outfit._

_First I pulled out a set of sexy lingerie I had bought the weekend before when Alice had dragged me shopping. It consisted of a __burgundy red, lacy bra and a pair of boy shorts in the same colour and fabric._

_But after I had put that on, I was completely lost. I glanced at the clock and noticed I still had an hour before Edward would be back, so maybe I could call Alice. I debated with myself for another few minutes, but eventually gave in and called my fashion guru._

"_Hey, Bella! Aren't you supposed to get ready for some ridiculously romantic evening with my brother?"_

"_Yes, but that's where the problem lies."_

"_Let me guess, you don't know what to wear?"_

"_Yep. And to top it all off I have no idea where we're going, so I don't know what's appropriate."_

_Alice was quiet for a second, most likely doing a mental inventory of my wardrobe._

"_Okay, take the knee length grey skirt, the one with the a-line and the string that ties one corner up."_

"_Got it." I murmured as I pulled it out and threw it on the bed._

"_Uhm… Then grab that black v-neck sweater I got you for your interview."_

"_Okay."_

"_If I am right you have a deep red tanktop with lace around the edges."_

"_Yeah, I've got it."_

"_Put that underneath and make sure it peeks out over the V. Wear the long black boots with the heel and add some jewellery to complete the package, I'm sure you can manage that."_

"_I can. And thank you so much."_

"_You're welcome. Now that I've got you on the phone, I wanted to ask you if you could help me find a good cooking class. Now that I won't be travelling as much, I really want to learn how to cook."_

"_Of course. If you want I'll even go with you. I'm sure I still have tons to learn myself."_

_Alice squealed. "Really?"_

"_Really. It will give us some time with just us girls."_

"_Hmmm. You know, my mom would love to come with us."_

"_Oh and Rosalie. We can ask her to come too."_

_Alice giggled. "It'll be great. The Cullen women go on the Cullen-ary tour."_

_I snorted. "That's such a lame word joke."_

"_Hey, I resent that."_

_We talked for a few more minutes before we said goodbye and I hurried to get my outfit on. I put on some silver bangles and a pair of silver earrings in the shape of butterflies. After finishing my make-up, I still had fifteen more minutes before Edward would pick me up, so I decided to call Rosalie about the cooking class._

_She was a bit sc__eptic, but agreed to go with us as long as Esme was coming too. She didn't want to be a spoilsport if we were all going, but she wasn't eager either. I told her I would call her back if I knew more details._

_So there I was, ten minutes to go and nothing to do. I texted Alice about Rosalie's answer and she texted back that her mom had been over the moon with the idea. So we decided to get together on Sunday and pick a cooking class._

_Five more minutes. I couldn't fathom why I was so incredibly on edge.__ It was crazy, really, but I felt like we were going on our first date. I was nervous and fidgety and an all out wreck._

"_Come on, Bella. You're engaged to the man!" I reprimanded myself._

_But I still jumped when there was a knock at the door. With clammy palms I went to open the door, finding Edward outside with a huge bouquet of white roses._

"_Hello, beautiful. These are for you."_

_I took the offered flowers. "Thank you. They are beautiful."_

_He gave me a gentle smile and told me he'd wait while I put them in water. When I was done, he was already waiting for me, my coat in his hands so I could easily slip it on. I started to get the feeling that Alice was going to be right. He was going to make tonight ridiculously romantic._

_We drove for quite a while in silence. I didn't really pay attention to where we were going, I was simply enjoying he view of Edward beside me. When he pulled into a parking spot, I finally managed to tear my eyes away._

"_Where are we?"_

"_Golden Gardens Park. I thought we could have a picnic."_

_A warm feeling spread through me when I took in his expectant expression. "That sounds perfect."_

_He gave me one of his crooked grins before getting out of the car and walking around to help me out. He proceeded to go to the trunk and get out a picnic basked and several blankets. He took my hand in his free one and we silently walked through the park towards the water edge. When he was satisfied with the spot, Edward set down the basket so he could spread out the biggest blanket._

_He handed me one of the smaller ones before sitting down and starting to take the food out of the basket.__ I was smiling the entire time he kept taking things out. It was an insane collections of foods._

"_Where did you get all this stuff?"_

_Edward looked up at me with a sheepish grin. "I went to my favourite restaurants and ordered a couple of dishes at each one. I figured you could choose what you liked best and we can take the leftover home. We can reheat it tomorrow when Emma's home."_

"_You are so adorable," I whispered as I leaned in to kiss him._

_We ate, talking about anything and everything we could come up with. About two hours after we arrived, we were both stuffed and out of things to say, so Edward packed away the leftovers and put the garbage in a plastic bag to dispose of later. He sat back down after he put it all back in the basket._

"_I have to options for the rest of the night," he said quietly. "First option, you allow me to take you down town for another surprise, or I take you home where we can spend some time soaking in the tub together before curling up on the couch together to watch a movie I rented."_

_I sighed, really doubting which choice would be better. "We'll go downtown. We can watch the movie tomorrow."_

_He smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that."_

_Edward drove us to an Irish pub called Conor Byrne Pub. It was an Irish pub and to my extreme surprise, there was Piano Bar Karaoke night. For a second I was afraid he'd drag me up on stage, but I relaxed when I saw his reassuring smile._

"_Don't worry, love," he said close to my ear. "I won't make you sing in front of all these people."_

"_Stop reading my mind," I joked._

_He just grinned and pulled me over to a table that was still available. He told me to keep his chair open while he went to get drinks. He came back with two Guinness beers. We sat and listened to the patrons sing and play for some time, before Edward excused himself to go to the bathroom. I nodded absently, concentrating on the woman on stage._

_When Edward didn't return after a few minutes, I glanced around the bar to see if he was at the bar. He wasn't. I slowly got up, scanning the room while my anxiety level started to rise. Just as I was about to get up and check the bathrooms I heard his voice over the speakers._

"_Good evening every one. I would like to dedicate this song to my beautiful fiancée Bella. It is for you that I wake up every day. I love you."_

_He then started playing. It was 'someone like you' from Van Morrison. His voice was deep and stirred something deep inside me. It was like all the world just faded away and it was just me and Edward and him playing this amazing song for me._

**September 3****rd**** 2007**

The first bell jarred me from me recollections. All of a sudden my nerves were back. The first students filed into the room and I had to focus on my new job. To my intense relief I recognized to children from Edward's music group from over the summer and they both greeted me with eager smiles. It reassured me enough to introduce myself without blushing or stuttering.

With every new hour, my confidence rose a little more and by the time lunch rolled around, I knew I could do this. I was stacking the papers on my desk when I heard a soft knock at the door. I looked up to find my favourite man standing in the doorway.

"Hello, love. How is your first day going so far?"

I smiled. "It's going great. It's a lot easier than I expected."

"I'm glad to hear it. Are you ready to go to lunch?"

"Sure."

After locking the classroom behind us, Edward grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together and we walked down the hallway to the teacher's lounge. The hallways were reasonably quiet, but there were still a few students milling around, throwing us curious glances as we passed.

"You know," I said as another student stared intently at our intertwined hands. "You are going to lose your bet with Emmett if we walk around the hallways like this."

He laughed. "I think you'll still get enough attention for the boys, even if they know you belong to me. Some guys will stop at nothing than a firm no from the woman in question."

I snorted. "Some don't even stop at that."

"True. But I have hope that our students will not cross that line with you."

We had arrived at the lunchroom at that moment and I noted that all eyes were trained on the two of us. Sensing my discomfort, Edward guided me to the table where Garrett and Mike were sitting. The both of them greeted us enthusiastically.

"Hi, guys. Can you keep my girl safe for me while I hunt down something for lunch?" Edward asked, winking at me.

"Sure, sure. You go and leave Bella with us," Garret muttered.

Edward took off after thumping Garrett in his shoulder and warning Mike to keep his hands to himself. Shaking my head at his retreating form I asked: "Is he always this hyped up at work?"

Garrett and Mike looked at each other and then started laughing. "No, Bella," Garret said when he had calmed down enough. "Edward was always serious. I can't believe you don't know how different he is since you showed up in Seattle."

I shrugged. "I've heard stories, but I haven't experienced what he was like before I came here, so I have no reference."

"Understandable. Hey, I meant to ask you. Do you know what happened to the cheerleader couch? That Tanya woman?" Mike asked, looking completely oblivious to my and Garrett's looks of horror.

"Mike," I started hesitantly. "Tanya is Garret's sister in law. Didn't you hear what happened?"

"Wait, you mean she's the one that put you in the hospital?"

Garrett and I nodded solemnly.

"Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to step on any toes. It's just that I expected to see her today and I hadn't put two and two together yet," he rambled, his face beet-red.

Garrett took pity on him and reassured him no harm was done and Tanya was better off where she was. Edward slipped into the chair beside me, blissfully unaware of the sore subject that had just been closed.

Mike mouthed 'I'm sorry'. I shrugged, giving him a sincere smile to show him I wasn't really bothered by it. I would've been more upset if Edward had been there to hear it. He was the one that had been there when she truly snapped and even though he tried to hide it, I knew it still haunted him, so I tried to steer clear of the subject as much as I could.

I only addressed the matter when Edward would start the conversation. He was bothered the most by what had happened, so I let him lead. I gave him space to cope with it on his own terms.

After lunch I had a difficult group. There were some guys who refused to listen to me, they just kept talking and laughing.

"Guys this is your final warning," I said firmly.

One of the boys snorted. "Or you'll do what?" he scoffed.

I stood, walked over to his desk and leaned over him. I pinned his gaze with mine while I took in a deep breath and said in a quiet, but deadly voice: "Or I will make sure you do not get to play one more game this entire school year. I will give you so much detention your social life will bleed to death all on it's own and if that doesn't work, I will not hesitate to involve your parents in getting the message through."

He looked defiant for another minute, but when he realized I didn't waver under his stare, he dropped his eyes to his desk.

"Sorry."

"Just so you know, I will not tolerate this childish behaviour from anyone," I said louder so the rest of the class heard me.

"I can make this class interesting and fun, but only if you all pay attention and focus on the work I need you to do. If you have trouble with the material, I am willing and able to work with you after class until you get it. I am a reasonable person, but not when it comes to this kind of behaviour. I expect you to have some respect for me. If not I won't be able to respect you and I am not above being just as childish and petulant as you."

The room was quiet. I looked around and assessed each face, before I spun on my heel and returned to my desk. It appeared that I had won my first battle of my career as a teacher.

When the bell rang for the end of class, the student I had reprimanded stepped up to my desk.

"Hi, Nick. What can I do for you?"

He bit his lip, clearly embarrassed about what he wanted to say or ask.

"You can ask me anything, Nick."

He nodded. "I wanted to apologize. I was being a dick."

"Colourful language, but you're right."

"About that help."

"Yes?"

"Can you maybe help me with the material?"

I nodded. "What do you need help with, Nick?"

"Uhm…you see…I can't read that good."

"Are you illiterate?"

He shrugged. "Not completely, but I have trouble with it."

"Okay. We'll see how we are going to handle this. What time do you finish tomorrow?"

"Two."

"Me too. Why don't you come to my class when you're done and we can work together for an hour. We'll just see how well you do read and go from there, okay?"

"Okay."

He walked to the door, but stopped just before he was out the room. He looked at me over his shoulder. "Thank you, Ms. Swan."

I smiled and watched him leave. He was going to be a handful, I was sure of it.

* * *

_A/N: I know you were expecting the continuation of the lemon, but I decided the story needed to move forward a bit. There will be lemons to come, by the way._

_Thanks once again for the amazing reviews on last chapter. Every time I get an e-mail with a review alert I get all giddy and happy, so give me some ;)_

_Love,_

_Mo_


	37. Chapter 37

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, the plot belongs to me. **

**Chapter thirty-seven**

**Epov**

**September 7****th**** 2007**

Emma and I were waiting outside of Bella's classroom for her to finish with her last class. I had one less hour on Friday's so I had agreed with Bella that I would pick up Emma from daycare and we would go and have dinner at my parents' house. Rosalie, Emmett and Alice were supposed to be coming too, so it was going to be a big family dinner.

The past week had gone by smoothly for Bella. She's had some minor run-ins with a few students, but mostly it was nothing to be concerned over, regular teenagers. She did mention one kid, Nick Blake, who had given her some grief the first day only to come to her for help later on.

I had heard other teachers talking about him and at first I had been worried that Bella might have picked a battle with the wrong guy, but when I saw her working with him on his reading problem, I realized I might have been a bit hasty in my judgment of this kid.

The door to the classroom flew open then, the children filing out, talking about their weekend plans together. I watched my fiancée clean up her paperwork and close off her desk before she turned in our direction and her whole face lit up. Emma reached out for her mother instantly and they hugged each other tightly. Every time I saw it, I felt a tug on my heart. It was the most precious sight in the world.

"Hello, love," I whispered as I kissed her forehead. "How was the rest of your day?"

"It was okay. I was really looking forward to the weekend, so I cut the kids some slack and took it easy on them. I think they liked me a little better because of it."

I laughed. "You do know that bribing them, is not going to make them like you better?"

"I know," she said, chuckling. "I just wasn't in the mood to do the difficult assignments today. I was looking forward to spending the weekend with my baby girl and my future husband."

"What time are we going to grandma and grandpa?" Emma piped up.

Bella looked up at me, the same questioning look on her face as our daughter's.

"Well, my beautiful girls. We are expected at six thirty."

"What time is it now?"

Bella and I both glanced at our watches at the same time. "It's three thirty, so we have three hours to get washed up and go to grandma and grandpa."

"Ok, I can make do with three hours," Emma stated with a decisive nod.

Bella bit her lip to keep from laughing, while I quickly turned around and walked down the hall. If I would look at Bella, I would start laughing and if there was one thing I learned over the past weeks, was that Emma sometimes took it too personal when people laughed at something she said. Bella explained to me that she hadn't always been like that, but according to the mothers she had talked to at Emma's school, it was a phase she needed to go through.

We had mutually agreed to try and keep the laughter to a minimum, because neither of us wanted to make Emma a shy girl, or afraid of speaking her mind. She was such a smart girl and we both wanted her to feel like she didn't have to be embarrassed for who she was.

As we walked out to the car, I noticed a couple of boys still lingering on the parking lot. They were hanging on a coupe of picnic benches, talking and smoking. When they saw us they hurriedly put out the cigarettes. I shook my head, chuckling.

"Wait for me at the car, I'll go talk to those boys for a sec," I said to Bella before I pressed a kiss to her temple and walked down the lot to where the boys were now looking extremely nervous.

"Hey, Mr. Cullen," one of them said, his voice cracking slightly at the end.

"TJ, boys," I greeted them with a nod. "You do know that it's not very wise to be smoking on school grounds when the principal's car is still in the lot, don't you?"

They nodded, a look of confusion spreading over their faces.

"Listen, I haven't been a saint when I was in high school, just ask Ms. Swan, but at least I was smart enough to hide some of that stuff from my teachers. I'm not saying I approve of smoking, because I certainly don't. And if in a couple of years I catch my daughter smoking, she will be grounded till she's thirty, but I think you boys are old enough to know the dangers. If not, look it up on the internet, I am sure you'll love the pictures of babies being born surrounded by nearly black water, or the blackened lungs of a smoker."

Each of the boys either swallowed hard or looked away, uncomfortable. I gave them all another stern look and turned to head back to Bella.

I saw her talking to Nick Blake. He was standing a little too close as far as I was concerned and I had to fight the urge to run up to him and pull him away forcefully. Bella, however, smiled and placed a hand on his arm. I couldn't hear what she was saying, because my ears were pounding with the blood that thundered through my veins at the casual contact.

I saw Nick nod and turn. As he walked towards me, he caught my eye. He paled when he took in my expression. He shot a worried look at Bella, before he passed me. I could feel his eyes bore into the back of my head, but I couldn't care less.

"What was that?" I hissed when I reached Bella.

She blinked rapidly. "What was what?"

"You, touching a student, who, by the way, seems to like invading your personal space a little too much."

"Don't be ridiculous, Edward. Nick is ashamed of asking for help, so he was whispering. I couldn't hear him, so I stepped closer to him. He didn't invade my space. And I only touched his arm to reassure him he would manage to finish school this year, if he was willing to put in some extra hours."

She spoke calmly, but it somehow rubbed me the wrong way. I drove home, stewing over it in silence. I could feel Bella's eyes on me, but if I were to look at her, I would snap.

~*~

Later that evening, when we were driving to my parents' house, Bella was the one who was angry. She had her arms crossed over her chest and stared pointedly out of the window. We hadn't spoken about what happened after we left school and by now the air had been poisoned with everything I had said, but mostly with things I didn't say.

I knew I should have apologized as soon as we got home, but I didn't. I should have told her I was being an irrational, jealous, jerk, but I didn't and every minute that passed without those words, made it harder and harder to get out.

Bella had slowly started to get angrier with me. She started cleaning the apartment, shoving things into drawers and cupboards. When she was done, she went into the bathroom, she slammed the door behind her so hard, the windows rattled. Emma looked on in confusion.

About fifteen minutes after Bella had disappeared, Emma came up to me and sat down next to me on the couch.

"What's wrong with mommy?"

"Mommy and I had a fight and now she's angry with me."

"Oh. What about?"

"Something that happened at school."

She nodded, patted my knee and hopped off the couch. "You should say you're sorry," she said before she quietly slipped out of the room to get ready for the night.

I hadn't.

As I pulled into the driveway, I realized I couldn't let this fester any longer. I turned to her and took her face between my hands, staring into her angry brown eyes.

"Bella, before we go in there, I wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry I flipped out over nothing. I'm sorry I didn't apologize sooner, but mostly I'm sorry I got angry at you while I know tat you would never do anything."

She huffed. "You realize how ridiculous your comments were? Edward I haven't even kissed anyone since we left the Hunters because I was still in love with you, why would I start cheating on you, now that I am with you again? Why? Not only that, but he's a student for crying out loud!"

My stomach clenched. "I know. I was so stupid, Bella. I just saw him that close to you and you were smiling at him and touching his arm. I just lost all coherent thoughts. I have never in my life been this overwhelmed with jealousy. I'm so sorry."

She drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Edward, you need to reign in the caveman act." She looked up at me again. "I love you, but you don't need to throw me over your shoulder and carry me off whenever a boy or man talks to me."

I nodded slowly. "I promise I'll do my best."

"Good. Now let's go in there. I think they're all wondering why we aren't at the door yet."

I got out to open her door for her and then went to the back to get Emma out of her seat. Bella waited for me, her hand outstretched for me to take. I felt relief sweep through me as our fingers intertwined. Bella stood up on her toes and kissed my cheek.

"You're forgiven," she whispered into my skin.

"Thank you."

She gave me a smile and a wink and then turned to drag me up the stairs and in the door. My mother greeted us in the hallway, taking our coats and ushering us into the living room for drinks.

"Hey guys!" Alice greeted us enthusiastically.

"Hi, Ali."

Alice hugged us both and immediately pulled Bella over to Rosalie in order to discuss their possible cooking classes. Esme joined them after a few minutes, sending Carlisle into the kitchen to keep an eye on dinner.

"Oohh," Rosalie suddenly exclaimed. "I like this one!"

She held up a folder for the other women, who grabbed for it at the same time. After two minutes, Bella looked up at Rosalie with a smirk.

"Rosalie Lillian Cullen, are you by any chance experiencing cravings?"

Rose actually turned red, so I knew there had to be a story there, especially when Emmett started laughing.

"Enlighten us," my mom requested.

"When I was pregnant with Emma I got an incredible sweet tooth. Pretty much the second my morning sickness was over with, I started eating mostly chocolate and candy. Rosalie kept nagging me about not believing in cravings. It was all just something you could mentally push down, she insisted. I made a bet with her that she would get cravings just like any other woman in the world when she was pregnant. Looks like I have won myself a bet."

Rosalie grumbled something unintelligible, but the straightened up, pulled her wallet out of her purse. Bella smirked as she was handed a bill. Emma hurried over to check out how much it was. Her eyes popped when Bella gave her the bill and told her to put it in her piggy bank when she got home.

"Thank you, mommy!"

"You won the bet, baby girl."

"I don't get it."

"Well, aunty Rosalie bet mommy that her baby wouldn't make her have really crazy things for dinner. Her baby lost, so you get to keep the money."

Emma cheered happily, running up to me, flapping her money in the air. I caught her right before she started to trip over her own two feet and sat her on my lap.

"Look, daddy. I won twenty dollars!"

"Good for you, sweetheart. Do you want me to keep it safe for you until we get home tonight?"

"Mommy can do that too."

"Why yes she can. You decide who keeps it safe for you."

She nodded and looked from me to Bella and back again. "You keep it, I don't want to get up," she giggled.

I laughed and took the dollar bill from her, tucking it into the breast pocket of my shirt. A few moments later, Carlisle called us into the dining room for dinner.

It felt a lot like this past summer, only now Bella sat beside me. It made the experience that much better. Somewhere during dinner, I felt her hand on my thigh, squeezing lightly. I looked over at her and she gave me a loving smile.

"What?" I whispered in her ear.

"I love you and I just wanted to make sure you knew I forgave you."

"I love you too. So much."

She smiled and placed her free hand at the back of my head, bringing me down so she could kiss me sweetly on the lips.

I forgot where I was for a moment and lost myself in her sweet scent and the feel of her lips on mine. I slipped my tongue into her mouth, caressing hers slowly. A round of catcalls made us pull away, both of us blushing when we realized what we had done in front of our family.

After dinner, my father took Emma to his study to read her a story, muttering something about me and Bella needing some time alone. I had no idea what he was talking about, until Bella came up to me and dragged me upstairs to my old room. The room where we had reconnected after five years.

She sat down on the bed, patting the space beside her. "I have a feeling you are still giving yourself a hard time over this afternoon, so I want to explain to you exactly what is going on with Nick. I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone, but I trust you to keep your mouth shut about it."

I nodded and sat down beside her.

"Nick has trouble reading, I told you that. He wanted me to help him, since he thinks his peers will give him a hard time if he gets a tutor his own age."

"Okay, I can understand that."

"Good. Now, the reason Nick seems so comfortable around me, is because I remind him of his baby sister. She died last year after a long sick bed. It's one of the reasons he's behind on his school work as much. The past couple of years have been tough on him."

Bella took in a deep breath and then stared at me very intently. "You have nothing to worry about. I will never want anyone but you, no matter who walks up and flirts with me, you are the only man in the world for me."

If possible I felt even more guilty over my behavior. "Bella, I love you so much that it sometimes clouds my judgment. After what happened with Tanya, I am so afraid of losing you. Whether it's a car accident, some crazy chick attacking you in a bar or a boy making you see I'm not worthy of you. It just drives me absolutely crazy."

Bella shook her head, smiling. "You crazy, crazy man. I love you."

I pulled her into my lap and pressed my lips to hers, desperate to feel her close to me. She opened her mouth, her tongue coming out to slide over my lower lip. I allowed her into my mouth, reveling in her taste.

Bella's small whimper, set my whole body on fire. I trailed kisses over her cheek to just below her ear.

"I want you," I growled.

"God, yes…" she moaned.

I got up off the bed and turned around so I could lay her down.

"Hurry, Edward. They'll wonder what's taking us so long," Bella whispered as I hovered over her, taking in her beauty.

She had worn a dress, making this so much easier. I shoved her dress up over her hips and quickly pulled her panties down her legs. I stuffed them in my pants pocket, grinning at Bella's mischievous smile.

Bella sat up and undid my pants and yanked them down to my knees. "You better be in me within the next two minutes, Edward, or I am walking right out that door without my panties. I'm sure you'll enjoy knowing that I have nothing on underneath my dress," she practically purred.

I didn't think twice before sinking down on top of her and thrusting forward into her slick heat. I caught her cries in my mouth. Bella clutched frantically at my back, trying to get me to go deeper, faster and harder.

I complied, pumping faster with each stroke. I soon felt my balls clench, ready to explode."Baby, touch yourself. I want you to come with me," I moaned.

Bella slipped her hand between us and started moving in time with my thrusts. It wasn't long afterwards that I felt her walls clench around me, sending my right off the edge with her.

It had been fast, it had been rough, it had been fantastic.

"Wow," Bella murmured against the crook of my neck. "If that's what make-up sex is about we should fight more often."

I pulled back so I could look at her. "You liked that? A rough quickie?" I asked, amused.

"Yes," she admitted, while blushing a lovely pink. "But I like it slow and romantic, too."

"I know you do, love. I do too. I think we need to get out of here, though, before thy send out a search party."

And just like that the last bit of tension in the air had been cleared.

* * *

_A/N: Uh oh, their first fight. It was a perfect example of irrational, jealous Edward and I think we needed him, don't you? The story is flowing easily, so I am hoping to get out the next chapter in three to four days tops._

_I received some pretty amazing reviews again, so thank you for that. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter and the mini-lemon ;)_

_Hugz,_

_Mo_

* * *


	38. Chapter 38

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, I own the plot

* * *

**

Chapter thirty-eight

**Bpov**

Edward and I laughed as we took in the other's appearance.

"I think we need to clean ourselves up before we go downstairs," Edward murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

Laughing, I took his hand and pulled him into the bathroom with me. When I took in my wild hair and rumpled clothes there was nothing I could do but laugh. Edward watched me with amusement as I tried to untangle my hair and make my dress look a little less like I had just gotten some at my future in-laws house.

"God, if you think about it, this is so embarrassing," I chuckled, watching Edward through the reflection in the mirror.

"I guess it is kind of high school of us to have sex while the rest of the family is downstairs."

I was glad the both of us could laugh about the situation. It sure as hell was better than the frigid atmosphere we had experienced when we drove out here. I was glad we managed to settle it. I really didn't want to fight with Edward, especially about something like that.

I had to admit that I could somewhat identify with his fears. I experienced them too, only I was more used to keep my emotions in check. Something that comes with becoming a mommy. Everything you do or say can be picked up by your kid and you could unintentionally hurt their feelings or make them feel insecure. I just hoped that so far I had done a good job with Emma.

"Are you ready to go down?" Edward asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Are you? Will you just look at your hair and shirt?"

"My hair is always this crazy and..." he trailed off while smoothing down his shirt, "The shirt is done. Come one, let's go."

We were just at the top of the stairs when Alice came out of the living room and headed in our direction. She looked up, saw us and smiled.

"Did you two make up?"

"How did you even know we had something to make up?" I asked her, raising my eyebrows.

She chuckled. "I think everyone noticed the tortured expression on Edward's face and seeing he looks nearly post-coital now, I figured you guys kissed and made up."

Edward nearly choked when he started laughing. I poked his ribs to get him to stop, but he couldn't. I simply shook my head at him and left him at the top of the stairs while I went down and joined Alice to go back into the living room.

Carlisle sat in the recliner, watching sports with the boys, while Esme and Rosalie were still pouring over the folders, discussing the pros and cons of each one.

"Where's Emma?" I asked, looking over at Carlisle.

When his eyes met mine, I noticed the slight pink flush of his cheeks and in response I felt my face get extremely hot.

"She fell asleep so I put her in her room."

I really wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole in that moment. Emma had gotten her own room here when we moved in with Edward, so that she could have sleepovers if she wanted. It was the same room as she and I slept in that first night. The room next to Edward's.

Carlisle shifted in his seat, not really knowing where to look. Edward came in and saved me from any more quiet mortification, because Emmett suddenly felt the need to verbalize said embarrassment.

"Hey, little brother! I believe you and your girl having been doing some naughty things."

"EMMETT!" Came from several people in the room.

"What? It's true isn't it?"

Esme got up and walked over to him. She shook her head in disappointment before slapping the back of his head.

"You, son are such a big mouthed fool sometimes. Do you honestly think we haven't heard more than that from you and Rosalie over the summer? Or from you and one of your previous girlfriends? Honestly, Emmett. You of all people have no right to embarrass anyone about having a sex-life."

"Oh, God! Mom! I do not want to hear those words from your mouth. Let me please live in the nice alternate reality where my parents are to old to know about sex, let alone practice it."

Alice and Edward nodded, clearly uncomfortable with the notion of their parents still having sex. I caught Rosalie's eye and she inclined her head to me with a wink. I bit back an evil smile and looked at the others.

"Come on, guys. If I was Esme and I was married to a hot man like Carlise, I would be all over him every day of the week."

Rosalie snorted. "Several times a day," she added, giving me a thumbs up under the table.

"Oh, but I do," Esme blurted.

The three Cullen kids groaned, covering their ears with their hands, while Carlisle simply ducked his head and looked horrified at the conversation. I leaned into Esme and whispered in her ear.

"Why is he hiding?"

"He doesn't discuss our bedroom business in public. No matter how much the situation calls for it. Like it did just now," she whispered back.

I smiled, gave her a peck on the cheek and sat down in the chair next to Carlisle. Thankfully the conversation turned to safer subject and by the time it was time for us to go home, the subject was long forgotten.

The girls and I had decided to take a pastry class. We all liked our chocolate and sweet stuff, but Rosalie pushed it the last bit to our final decision by stating that she wanted to learn how to make her own goods for when her cravings hit.

Edward carried Emma to the car and settled her into her seat, while I waited in the front seat. We drove off and although we were quiet again, it was a comfortable silence.

~*~

It was Sunday afternoon and Edward and I had taken Emma to the park so she could play while the weather was still reasonably good. She had demanded Edward push her on the swings until she spotted a girl from her class and she headed over to play with her in the sandbox.

"She is such a beautiful girl," someone behind us said.

I turned my head and saw Victoria standing there, looking a little haggard and with black circles under her eyes.

"Victoria?" Edward asked, sounding as stunned as I felt.

"Hi," she whispered. "Do you mind if I talk to you for a bit?"

Edward gestured to the bench next to the one we were on. I could see his jaw clench as he looked over his shoulder, so I figures James was there too. And sure enough, he sat down beside Victoria. He inclined his head towards us in greeting, but kept his mouth shut. He had his hands clasped in front of him and he was staring down at the ground. Something about his posture made me think he was a broken man.

"First of all we owe you both an apology. We never should have dropped you like we did back then. Yes, things were bad and we thought it would be difficult to deal with it, but that was no excuse to give up on you," Victoria said softly.

Edward was staring at Emma who was happily making sandcastles with her friend, blissfully unaware of the straining conversation going on just a few feet away.

"It was a shitty thing to do, but at the time we saw no other way," James explained.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Edward hissed as his blazing eyes bore down on James. The older man actually cowered in his seat.

"You beat the shit out of me whenever you saw fit, but what you apologize for is sending Bella and I away?! It would have been the best move you'd ever made if you had made sure we were placed in the same home."

"I know I was wrong to do that, Edward. Really, I do."

Edward scoffed. "Sure, James. What do you want from us? You want us to forgive you? Do you need money or something?"

From the corner of my eye I noticed Victoria cringe in her seat.

"Oh you've got to be joking," I muttered.

I turned to Victoria and looked her over from head to toe. "You are having money problems, aren't you? Look at you Victoria, what happened to you?"

"James got convicted for assault about a month after you and Edward were sent away. He had beaten Aro within an inch of his life when he had found out what Aro had done to you. We lost our house, because I couldn't pay for it on my own. Then when James got out six months ago, he couldn't get a job, so he tried his luck at gambling. At first he won some money, but he kept going until he lost it all and then some. We couldn't pay the money sharks, so we ran."

"That night we ran into you at the bar, we had been invited by Tanya. We had run into her a couple of days before. She told us she had an idea to get us out of trouble and help her get Edward."

I groaned. Of course this psycho wouldn't hesitate to talk to our former foster parents.

"She asked us to abduct you and hold you for ransom. She would then get a chance to be there for Edward and she was convinced he would fall in love with her then. But I just couldn't agree to that. We waited for her to walk away before we left and then James ran into you."

Edward stood, looking extremely agitated. I placed a hand on his arm, trying to reassure him.

"I'm going to take a walk with Emma. I can't sit still right now," he said.

He gave me a quick kiss and strode over to Emma, scooping her up in his arms and blowing raspberry's on her belly until she squealed at him to stop. They both waved at me before they walked off together, Emma talking excitedly about her sandcastle.

I noticed Victoria's watery eyes and for a moment I felt sorry for her. She was always sweet to the both of us.

"Oh, Bella I am so sorry. You must have had her when you didn't even know where Edward was. How could we have done this to you?" she sobbed.

James didn't move to comfort her and I felt my anger at him rise.

"You are an asshole, you know that?" I past at him. "Your wife is crying and you don't even comfort her, what kind of a man are you really? Victoria why do you even put up with him? He's the one that treated you like shit all these years and to top it off he's gotten so far in debt that he has you running all over the country. You must see that he doesn't really love you. If he did he would try to protect you from everything and anything that could hurt you."

James jumped to his feet, staling towards me with a livid expression on his face, but after having dealt with Tanya I really didn't feel any fear.

"O drop the testosterone, James. It's the truth! If you loved her you would never have treated her the way you did, no matter how angry you were at Edward or me. Or whoever else pissed you off. You should be a man and face the fact that you have problems you haven't dealt with. I had several hours of therapy to help me cope with what Aro did and that was a one time occurrence. You have been abused you entire childhood, moved from home to home throughout your adolescence. James you need help and not just financial help."

His face turned nearly purple in fury and he raised his hand. I raised my chin in defiance.

"Hey!" Emma yelled, running up behind him. "Don't you dare touch my mom! I will get my uncle Emmett and he's way bigger than you and he will hurt you so bad!"

James stared down at Emma who was now standing in front of me as if she could defend me and I saw his face go from angry, to shocked, to amused, to horrified before he dropped his hand to his side and reluctantly met my gaze.

"How did you get so wise?" he whispered.

"I had to learn for her. I had to deal with my past before I could provide her with a future. It's not too late to fix your mistakes, James. You just have to face up to them, starting with comforting your wife right now."

He turned around and for the first time since I've known him, he looked at Victoria with love in his eyes. I realized it had always been there, but it was tucked deeply beneath whatever it was that ate him up inside and made him act like an abusive bastard.

I picked Emma up and hugged her close to me. "I love you so much, baby girl, but promise me you will never do that again."

She nodded into my neck and put her thumb in her mouth.

"Let's get you home," I whispered, while stroking her curls.

I looked up and saw Edward looking at us from a distance. He was staring so intently at me that I could feel a fire ignite within. I knew what he wanted and I desperately wanted it too. He held out his hand in invitation and I practically sprinted across the park to get to him.

He wrapped the both of us in his arms as soon as we reached him and I knew he had watched what happened with James. I was so proud of him for not interfering. It meant so much that he trusted me to handle it, even after Emma had decided to butt in.

"I love you," I said, looking deep into his eyes.

"I love you too. I was afraid for a second," he admitted against my forehead.

"Nothing happened, so we can all relax."

"Do you think we will see them again?"

"I don't know and I don't care. They need to handle their own problems, we don't need to fix it for them."

Edward pursed his lips and nodded. "Let's go home."

~*~

Emma had fallen asleep in my arms when we walked home, so when we got in, I put her down for her nap. I was standing beside her bed, watching as she slept peacefully. I heard Edward softly call my name from our bedroom, so I bent down, placed a kiss on Emma's curls and left her room to go find my love.

He was standing in the middle of our room, without a shirt on. He crooked his finger, beckoning me over to him. When I was in arm's reach he pulled me flush against his body. I felt his hard length press into my belly and I instantly felt my panties dampen.

"I want you, my Bella. I want to undress you and kiss and lick every inch of your body."

I shivered in anticipation as his hands reached the hem of my shirt. He slowly slid it up my torso, fingers skimming along my skin ever so lightly, making me feel lightheaded. When he reached my breasts he teasingly ran his thumb over my pebbled nipples. I moaned softly at the sensation. When he had freed me of my shirt I tangled my hands in his hair and pulled him to me for a passionate kiss.

"I love that you want to worship me, but I want to do something that you haven't let me do since the first night we spent together," I whispered against his lips.

"And what is that?" he groaned, his eyes rolling back as I tugged on his hair.

"I want to make you come in my mouth."

I blushed as I said it, but Edward's shiver and strangled moan was all the reward I needed to forget all about the embarrassment I felt.

Impatiently, I pulled his shirt over his head, my hands roaming over his bare chest as soon as he was freed of the offending fabric. I shoved him until his knees hit the bed and he fell back. I kissed him fiercely.

"Stay right there," I ordered him, loving the excitement that shone in his eyes.

I sank to my knees in front of the bed and quickly unzipped his pants and pulled them down with his boxers. I helped him get them over his feet and then he was spread before me, completely naked and looking glorious as ever.

I licked his tip, eliciting a deep moan from Edward. I smirked against his skin and dragged my tongue from his base to his tip, swirled it around the head before I plunged down over him.

"God! Bella!" he exclaimed, bucking up into me.

I pulled away. "Shhh. You don't want to be stopped by our daughter again, do you?" I asked, biting away my smile.

"No, just don't stop. God, don't stop. Put your mouth back on me baby, please."

"I love hearing you beg," I murmured before taking him back into my mouth.

I altered between long deep strokes and sucking and licking the head. Edward moaned as quietly as he possibly could, but he couldn't stop his sounds completely. His hands slipped into my hair, guiding me in a pace he liked. His breathing picked up, while I sucked harder.

"Oh, baby. I'm gonna….God, I'm gonna come," he moaned.

With a couple of erratic thrusts of his hips he released into my mouth, while letting out a dragged out groan. I swallowed as couple of times before releasing him from my mouth. I crawled up the bed beside him and smiled as I took in his blessed out face.

"Did you like that, baby?" I asked him quietly.

"Yes, very much."

I wanted to say something else when I heard Emma's door open.

"Get into the bathroom," I whispered, shoving Edward to get him to move.

He groaned in protest, but made his way into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him, just as Emma stormed into our room. She paused as she took in my shirtless body.

"Mom? Where is your shirt?"

"I spilled something on it and I wasn't sure what to put on."

"Okay. Can I watch some cartoons."

"Sure, baby. I'll be right out."

She happily skipped out of the room, thankfully unaware of what she nearly walked in on. Edward stuck his head around the door with a smirk.

"Is the coast clear?"

"Yeah, but I'd better go out there before she decides she needs to know where daddy went."

* * *

_A/N: The confrontation might not have been as spectacular as I originally planned, but I felt it would be best for them to settle this once and for all. There will come no good from living in the past and Bella and Edward needed to let James and Victoria go._

_I hope you guys like the chapter. I am really looking forward to hearing what you think, so please drop me a review :)_

_Love,_

_Mo_

_PS I've written an all-human one-shot about musician Edward and his neighbour Bella (rated T). If you're interested check it out on my profile and let me know what you think of it._


	39. Chapter 39

**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Mrs. Meyer, plot to me.

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Chapter Thirty-nine

**Epov**

It had been a couple of weeks since we had talked to James and Victoria when we were in the park. We hadn't seen or talked about them since. I felt like we both had closed off that part of our lives, despite the big impact the both of them had had on us.

Bella loved her job as a teacher and the kids in our school were all very enthusiastic about her. She was the teacher that could make the material interesting even to those who detested the subject. It had resulted in her students having a higher average grade than the students of the other English classes. The principal even asked her to take on more hours, but already working four days, Bella really didn't want to give up that last day to work, when instead she could spend it with Emma.

I really couldn't blame her, Emma was a delight to be around and the changes in her went so fast that sometimes I found myself regretting all the time I spent at work. Despite missing out on time with Emma, I still loved my job. This year I had also managed to get a group of kids who were very devoted to their music and who I could encourage to do something more with the musical skills.

The bet with Emmett had already been lost by Bella. She had come home two weeks ago looking absolutely horror-struck.

~*~

"_Honey what's wrong?"_

_Bella waved her hand and hurried into the bathroom. I heard her turn on the shower, so I tried to shrug off the worry and continue getting dinner ready. Wednesday's was the only day of the week I was home two hours before Bella, so I always cooked dinner on those days._

_It was about ten minutes later, that I felt her warm arms slip around my waist and her head rest on my shoulder. Her hair was still wet from the shower, so it dampened my shirt, but I didn't really care, I only cared that Bella was okay._

"_Baby, please tell me why you looked so shocked when you came home?"_

_Bella shuddered against my back, so I turned off the stove and turned in her arms so I could hold her close to me._

"_Tell me."_

"_It's silly, really."_

"_Then why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"_

"_I was just a bit shocked."_

"_Do I have to pull it out of you?"_

"_No, I'm trying to warm myself up to tell you this. Just promise you'll stay calm."_

"_I will. Now tell me or I will think of all kids of horrific scenario's."_

_Bella chuckled, nuzzling her face in my chest. "I lost the bet with Emmett."_

"_Wait, the bet about how many boys would make a pass at you?"_

"_Yes, that's the one."_

_I had to fight really hard not to start laughing. "Well, who came up to you?"_

"_You mean, who didn't?"_

_I pulled away, looking at her in shock. "Excuse me?"_

"_It seemed that today the boys were of one mind. After you left, I was approached by one of the seniors in your class. He doesn't even have my class, but he still asked if I could tutor him. When I said I couldn't, he asked me to go out with him. I declined, naturally. He wasn't even out of my sight when another kid comes up to me. He's only a freshman, but he asked me to teach him how to kiss, can you believe that?"_

_At that I couldn't stop myself, I started laughing and I couldn't stop._

"_Oh and he wasn't the last. Noooo," Bella continued, getting pissed now. "Mike Newton was talking to me after last class when another senior walks up and asks if he could ask me a question about the homework I had given earlier. Mike excused himself and when he was out of earshot, that student leaned in and whispered in my ear that I looked 'hot'. I would have slapped him if it hadn't been for Nick walking up and sending that guy off with his tail between his legs."_

_That got my attention. I still wasn't too convinced Nick didn't want to try anything with Bella, but I trusted her to keep him at a distance._

"_What did he do?"_

"_He pulled the guy away from me, punched him in the gut and told him to have some respect. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he took a lesson in protection from you."_

_I rolled my eyes. "So that was it? Three guys? That puts me in the lead, you know."_

"_I know, Edward. And it wasn't just those three. Nick told me he thought he was in love with me after our tutoring session."_

"_What? What did you do?"_

"_I told you to stay calm Cullen. I told him I didn't return his feelings. He said he knew it, but he wanted me to know. I decided I wouldn't tutor him any more and he reluctantly agreed. I told him I'd find him someone trustworthy to take over from me and he even agreed to someone from his own class. I'm thinking about Angela Webber. She's a very sweet and quiet girl and smart as tax. I think she could help him."_

_I sighed in relief._

~*~

It was now Wednesday again and I was waiting for Bella to get home so I could take my girls out to dinner. She had a meeting with Nick and Angela to check on their process and I was curious how it went. I checked my watch to see how long she would be, when the door burst open to reveal a glowing Bella.

She flung her arms around my neck and kissed me fiercely. I didn't hesitate to deepen the kiss and pull her close to me. Somewhere behind me I heard Emma giggling at our display, but I couldn't really focus on that.

Bella was the one to pull back. She looked absolutely stunning with her glittering eyes and flushed cheeks.

"You look like you have good news," I laughed.

She nodded vehemently. "You'll love this. I had a meeting with Angela and Nick as you know. I was running a bit late because Garrett stopped me to invite us to go out with him and Kate this weekend. Anyway, when I got to my classroom the door was open, so I walked in. When I looked up I saw Angela in Nick's lap and they were kissing."

I felt a smile creep across my face. This was indeed good news for the jealous caveman inside me.

"So I cleared my throat to announce my presence and Angela almost tripped when she scrambled off his lap. He caught her around the waist and asked 'Are you alright, love?'. It was so adorable, Edward. He reminded me so much of you in that moment. I think they are so cute together."

I kissed her thoroughly, letting her feel just how relieved I was that this kid had gotten over his crush so quickly. Bella pulled back laughing.

"I can't believe how jealous you get. It's sweet, but sometimes it's also a bit unreasonable."

"I know, love. I know, but I can't say I'm sorry. You're too precious to me."

Emma giggled again. "Daddy, when are we going to dinner?"

"Right after the tickle monster catches you," I said with a grin.

"Noooo! Not the tickle monster again!" Emma squealed while she started backing away from me.

I stalked after her slowly, my hands outstretched in claws. Emma giggled and squealed with every step I took towards her, until she finally turn and sprinted towards her bedroom. I hurried after her, but for once she was faster than I expected.

I was about to run into her room, when Emma got smart and tried to close her door, causing me to run right smack into it. The pain in my nose was blinding, and I could feel the blood starting to gush almost immediately. I clamped my hand over my nose and sank down to my haunches, putting my head between my knees.

Emma pulled her door open again and I could hear her crying.

"I'm sorry, daddy."

"It's okay, baby girl. It was an accident," I said.

I could hear my voice was distorted due to my most likely broken nose. Bella was beside me in the next moment with a wet cloth and an icepack. I took them from her and pressed both to my nose.

"I'm calling your father," she murmured before she picked up Emma and walked over to the phone.

I don't know how long it took for Bella to call my father, but at one point she pulled me to my feet and guided me out the door and down to her car. I started feeling a little queasy when we pulled out of the lot. Bella noticed my pale skin and handed me a small bucket she had remembered to grab before we left.

"It'll be alright, baby," she whispered. "Your dad will meet us at the hospital. He was supposed to start his shift soon any way."

The ride was over quick enough and I was relieved when I saw my father waiting for us at the door. He guided us to a room and told me to sit on the gurney.

"Well let's see that nose, son," dad said.

I could see that he was trying to bite back a smile, but his twitching mouth gave him away.

"It's okay, dad. You can laugh. My five year old daughter broke my nose."

"I'm here to see if it is indeed broken," he replied with a wink.

He gently probed my nose, but I still winced when I felt him touch the spot where my nose had indeed been broken.

"Sorry, son, but it looks like you'll be walking around with a nice purple nose for a while."

He taped up my nose after he readjusted it to the best of his abilities and sent us on our way after making us promise to come over in the weekend.

"Why don't we get some pizza's to go?" Bella suggested as we stepped back into the cool evening.

"Sounds like a good plan. I'm not looking forward to going into town looking like this."

"Do I need to reschedule with Garrett and Kate?"

"No, of course not. You didn't tell me what you agreed on, by the way."

"Yeah, sorry. I was kind of distracted by the tickle monster and his near fatal injury."

I snorted, but groaned when a stab of pain shot through my nose. Emma winced as she looked at me. I took her from Bella and placed her on my hip. I put my forehead against hers and looked her sternly in the eyes.

"My sweet little girl, you don't have to feel guilty. It was an accident and if daddy hadn't run after you, he wouldn't have smashed into the door. It's my own fault that my nose is hurting and it will take some time, but it will be fine in the end."

"Okay," she whispered in a small voice.

"You can make it up to me, though," I offered when I noticed her expression didn't change one bit.

"Anything, daddy."

"You can go to the zoo with me on Saturday."

Her eyes grew huge. "Really? If I go with you, I can make it up to you?"

"Yes, sweetie. If you want to go with me, we're even."

She pursed her lips, thinking over the deal she was getting and eventually nodded. "Deal. I will go with you to the zoo."

"And will you show me all your favorites again, like you did when you and mommy first got here?"

"Yes!"

"Good. Now give me a kiss and then I don't want to see you looking sad anymore, okay?"

She smiled and gave me a small peck, avoiding touching my nose as best she could. She let out a heavy breath and put her head on my shoulder and her thumb in her mouth. Bella gave me a thumbs up, making me smile at her in return. I guess I was getting the hang of this parenting thing.

~*~

The weeks that followed my run in with the door past by quickly. Between work, Emma, Bella, our upcoming wedding and hanging out with friends and family we hardly got time to breathe. Alice was a whirlwind when it came to helping us plan our wedding. She would waltz in unannounced with arms full of magazines and a binder filled with the things we had already decided on and rattle off her list of latest questions and things we needed to decide on. While I was glad she was helping us and I knew that planning a wedding was a lot of work, I still caught myself wanting to grab all of her things and toss them out the window.

That was why one evening, when Alice was showing us the possibilities for flower arrangements, I burst.

"I don't want any of this. I just want Bella to be my wife and I don't care what I wear or where we get married or what the damn flowers look like!"

Alice glared at me. "Don't you dare, Edward Cullen! You and Bella deserve a decent wedding and I will not stand for you ruining this day for the both of you."

"Why would it ruin anything if it is what we both want?"

Alice turned to Bella now. "Is that what you want? Just run off somewhere in the clothes you have on and then just get married by a justice of the peace?"

Bella sighed heavily. "Alice, I think I need to talk to my fiancée privately. Why don't we postpone the flower-talk until after we've worked this out?"

"Sure. I'll leave this here so you can look it over."

Bella stood and walked Alice to the door, while I remained at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the many pictures of flowers. When Bella returned I could feel her stare at me from the doorway, but I didn't dare look up at her.

"Edward," she sighed as she sat down. "Talk to me. Why are you all of a sudden so...I don't know...huffy about all of this?"

I turned to her and took her hands in mine, keeping my eyes trained down.

"I never wanted a big wedding. Like I said, I just want you to become my wife, I don't care about the rest."

"Look at me, Edward. I don't like looking at the top of your head while you speak to me."

I raised my eyes and I found, what I called her stern-mommy-slash-teacher-stare, locked on me.

"I do not for one second," she started, "believe that you have never thought about our wedding before. There must be some idea in your mind of what you want."

I searched her eyes for some sign from her, but she had gotten really good at keeping her eyes guarded since she started teaching.

"I want a small ceremony. I don't know why, but I always saw us married on a beach at sunset, with only our family and friends there. I'm not a woman, so don't ask me what we would be wearing in my scenario, because I can honestly not tell you."

"Oh, Edward. And here I was, thinking you wanted a wedding like Rosalie and Emmett's. I don't want anything big with relatives I don't care for and people I am hardly acquainted with. Your version sounds heavenly to me. A quiet Caribbean beach and a minister to marry us when the people closest to us are there, is pretty much perfect."

She was smiling so brightly now, that it took my breath away.

"Do you think we can still arrange it in time for our original wedding date?" I asked, sounding incredibly eager, even to my own ears.

"You want to spend our Christmas break in the Caribbean?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. If we do this, we should do this the way we want. We wanted to get married the day before Christmas, but we let Alice decide for us that the date wasn't good enough. Why not do it exactly the way we want it, including our intended date?"

"Alice will kill us."

"I don't care. At least I'll die happy."

Bella snorted. "You are ridiculous, but I love you."

"I love you too, baby. Now give me the phone and let me give my sister a heart attack."

Bella was really laughing hard now and she was having a hard time handing me the phone without dropping it. I laughed with her for a moment before I pulled myself together and dialed Alice's cell.

"Hey, that's fast," she answered.

"Hi, Ali. Are you home yet?"

"Almost there."

"Okay, maybe I should call you when you get home, then."

"Why? What have you done?"

"We haven't done anything. We've just decided on a change of plans."

"What kind of change?"

"Well, the kind you need to sit down for."

Alice grumbled: "I'll call you back in ten minutes."

Exactly ten minutes later the phone rang.

"I'm home, I'm sitting down, spill!"

"Calm down, Alice."

"Don't calm down, Alice, me you goon. Tell me what is going on!"

"Alright. You will have to cancel whatever plans you've already settled on. We are moving the wedding date back to our original one, December 24th."

"What?! I can't pull off a wedding before then!"

"That's not all, Alice."

"Oh, god help me."

"Bella and I want to get married on a beach in the Caribbean, with just our closest family and friends. We will look for the venue ourselves, but we would like your help with the decorating and the clothes and stuff like that."

It was quiet for a beat, but then Alice squealed in delight. I pulled the phone from my ear and stared at it for a moment in shock.

"Al? You're not pissed?"

"Nope! I just realized I have the perfect wedding dress for this type of wedding. I couldn't use it in Seattle, but I can now!"

She rattled off another list of things she loved about our idea, while I kept grinning wider and wider. We were going to get married on a beach at sunset. Could it be any more perfect?

* * *

_A/N: Yay, another chapter finished! I am happy how the story is rolling, but I am sad that the end is nearing, I really enjoy writing this one and I enjoy that you all love reading it._

_I hope this chapter has been to your liking and I kindly request you to leave me some love in the form of a review (btw critisism is also welcome, just be respectful ;))_

_I love you all for reading and adding to your favourites or alerts and of course the reviewers amongst you.  
_


	40. Chapter 40

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot, the characters and all things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer.

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Chapter forty

**Emma's pov**

It was nearly Christmas, but this year I didn't really want to see Santa. I asked Santa last year if he could give me my daddy and it took him a while, but he did. Mommy and daddy were going to get married the day before Santa was coming, but if Santa was there, the wedding would be over. So I didn't want to see him just jet. I wanted to see mommy and daddy get married first.

I did send Santa a letter, though. I asked him for a baby brother of sister, but I told him I would wait, because I knew he would need a while to get me one. I even told him he could forget about other presents this year, because I just wanted this one so badly. He gave me my daddy, so I really hoped he could help me again this year.

Mommy was nervous today. We had our bags packed and ready to go, but she kept going from room to room, to see if she could find stuff that we forgot. Daddy just smiled at her, while I was sitting on his lap, watching mommy run around like a crazy person. When finally the bell rang, I jumped off my daddy's lap and ran to open the door.

Aunty Alice, aunty Rosalie and Uncle Emmett were all there. We were going to ride in the car with them to the airport and then we would go on a plane and then we would fly for a really, really long time and then we would be on an island where mommy and daddy were going to get married.

"Hi, Emma," aunty Alice said with a big smile on her face. "Do you guys have everything you need?"

"I do, but momma is going a little bit crazy. She won't sit still."

She knelt down in front of me and gave me a hug. "She's just a bit nervous," she whispered in my ear.

I smiled and nodded and them ran back to daddy, who was still watching mommy with a big smile on his face.

"You're not getting cold feet, are you, love?" he asked her.

"Nope. My feet are toasty warm," she grinned back.

I was a little lost. What did feet have to do with our trip? We were going to the beach and momma only packed my summer clothes, so shouldn't she have warm feet?

"Why would mommy have cold feet when we go to an island where it's really warm?" I asked.

The adults all laughed and I really didn't like it. I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at daddy who hadn't answered my question.

"It's a figure of speech, sweetie. When someone gets married and they get so nervous, they don't want to get married anymore, people say they get cold feet."

"That sounds silly. Why would you not get married if you already have everything ready?"

"I don't know, Em. But some people apparently change their minds at the last minute."

"You and mommy can't do that, daddy. Promise me."

"I promise."

"You too mommy," I told her.

"I promise too, sweetie. Now, why don't we go so we can catch our plane?"

I nodded and reached up so mommy could carry me.

"I love you, momma," I whispered when I put my head on her shoulder.

"I love you too, sweetheart."

* * *

_A/N: A short but sweet little extra in Emma's pov._

_I am working on a major chapter for the wedding, so I hope this will tide you over until it's finished. I loved writing a little something from Emma's pov and I hope you've loved reading it. Please let me know by dropping me a review, however short or long you wish to make it._

_Love,_

_Mo_


	41. Chapter 41 Wedding 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do own the plotline.

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Chapter forty-one

**Bpov**

Emma, Edward and I piled into Emmett's jeep. We were riding with him, Rosalie and Alice. Our parents would drive to the airport together and meet us there. Kate and Garrett had taken their own car and would follow behind us.

The only regret I had, was that Jacob and Leah weren't able to come. Leah's dad had passed away recently and they were now taking care of her mother and younger brother. Despite not having spent as much time with them as I had wanted since I moved to Seattle, I would still miss them on one of the most important days of my life.

We arrived at the airport, eager and happy. Our high spirits were crushed just minutes after we checked in. When we checked the timetable, we found out that due to a storm in the Caribbean, we had a delay of at least two hours. I groaned, because I could just imagine how well that would work with Emma.

I felt Edward's hand on the small of my back and his lips at my neck.

"Don't worry, love. We'll get there in time and Emma has our entire family to keep her busy."

I trembled as I felt his hands slip around my waist and his hard body press tightly against my back. With a breathy sigh, I melted against him, relishing the feel of his warm body so close to me. Although I was nervous, I was also excited to get married tomorrow.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too," he murmured, while scattering light kisses up and down my neck.

I laughed when Alice mouthed 'get a room'. Emma was happily chatting with both her grandmas about her dress for the wedding and how she wanted to wear it to school when we got back. Renee and Esme tried to gently tell her that it might not be a good idea, but Emma chose to be dense in that moment. I could see by the glint in her eyes, though, that she was just being stubborn.

Edward chuckled softly in my ear, obviously seeing what I was. "She's so much like you when she gets like that," he mused.

"Sure, blame the stubbornness on me, why don't yah. You can be just as pigheaded, buddy."

"I know, love. She's the perfect balance between my bad traits and yours."

I could hear the hint of amusement in his voice. "You, my darling almost husband, are entirely too much of a sweet talker."

"Only with you, love. No one else puts up with my crap."

I slapped the arm that lay draped around my waist. "If it hadn't been me, there would have been an entire town full of girls ready and willing to take the part I am currently occupying. Sometimes I feel like it would take only one mistake for some woman to swoop in and replace me. Don't get me wrong, I know it's irrational because you love me just as much as I love you, but I just get insecure sometimes, you know?" I rambled.

"I get it, Bella. I get the same feeling sometimes. It's silly and irrational and entirely to ridiculous to talk about for long, but every now and then I get jealous of every man who you so much as look at. I think it'll always be like that for us. I hope it will be, because that will mean we will always love each other as strongly as we do now."

I felt my eyes water, so I quickly turned in his arms and pressed my lips to his. He sighed as his hands slid up into my hair and he returned the kiss with passion. A loud catcall broke us up. I blushed, ducking my head into Edward's chest. He simply rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head.

When I pulled away the others had gone back to their own conversations. I sat down next to Alice and Emma who were drawing a picture for Santa. I remembered finding her letter to Santa two weeks earlier and smiled. She was adamant on getting a brother or sister, she even bargained Santa that he didn't have to bring her other toys this year.

I wasn't sure whether I should try to get her to give up on the idea, or whether we should try to have another baby. Part of my wanted to be pregnant again, but this time with Edward there to support me, but part of me also knew that we had already taken things far faster than any normal couple would have and having another baby might not be a wise idea just yet.

I returned to reality when Edward nudged me softly.

"Where are you, love, because from the looks of things you are miles away," he murmured.

"I was just thinking about Emma's wish list for Christmas."

"Right, the sibling she requested."

"Exactly."

"What _are_ your thoughts on the subject, love?"

"Well, I'm a bit torn to be honest. On the one hand I would love to have your baby again, but with you by my side this time and on the other I'm afraid we might be moving too fast. We've already sprinted our way to the aisle and I'm a little afraid that having a second child would be too stressful on us."

"I was thinking the same thing. Why don't we just wait a while and talk about it again. It's not like we're in a hurry. We've got the rest of our lives together and we're both still very young."

"I know, but Emma will be six in February and I don't know what the age difference will do to their relationship."

"You know, why don't we worry about that when we're ready to worry about it?"

I sighed, deliberately relaxing my now stiff shoulders. "You're right. I'll put it in the back of my mind for now, I'm going to check on the board to see what's happening with our flight."

As I stood, I looked around for Emma and found her sitting on Carlisle's lap while he was reading to her. I loved seeing her with him, for some reason. I knew she liked sitting with him, because he did the funniest voices while reading, but there was more to it than that. I just couldn't identify it exactly. He looked up and found me staring at him and gave me a wink. I smiled before sauntering off to the screens where the times were displayed.

I looked up at the list of flights and times and my heart sank. The flight was now three hours late. This had the potential to turn into a disaster. With slumped shoulders I turned to go back, only to find, much to my surprise, that Jasper was standing close to Alice, about two feet in front of me.

"Jazz? What are you doing here? I thought you were flying directly from Phoenix?"

He gave me a short hug and looked at Alice before answering. "I was going to, but I got a job offer two weeks ago, here in Seattle. So I flew up here to get things settled and figured I might as well stay here until you were going to fly out for the wedding."

"Okay, why didn't you tell us?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise. And I've been kind of busy."

From the corner of my eye I saw Alice beam, but then quickly turn to walk away. I reached out and yanked her tiny frame back.

"Hold it right there, missy. What is going on, you two?"

"Uhm...Please don't kill me," Alice squeaked.

"Do I have reason to?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know .... Uhm .... IranintoJasperwhenhejustarrivedandhehasbeenstayingwithmefortwoweeksandwe'retogethernow."

I blinked a couple of times, my mind trying desperately to untangle the lighting fast words she just rambled out.

"Holy shit. Did I hear you correctly? You've been living under the same roof for two weeks, most likely going at it like rabbits, and you're officially a couple now?" I asked, just to make sure.

"Something like that," Jasper spoke quietly.

I looked from Jasper to Alice and back. They both looked so nervous and afraid that I started laughing and couldn't stop.

I heard them hissing at me to stop because the others were staring at us, but I simply couldn't stop anymore.

"Y-you...wh-ere s-seriously a-afraid of me-e?" I asked once my laughter died down a little.

"Well, yes," Alice said, looking a little annoyed now.

"Oh, Ali. Seriously, if you're happy, then I'm happy. I have no feelings for Jasper and seeing as he is now shagging you, I take it his feelings for me are long gone, too. That just leaves you two the lovely task of telling Edward and Emmett about the love that has blossomed between you."

Alice, pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. "Would you help us?"

I raised up my hands. "Oh, no. I am keeping my nose far, far away from that conversation. You're both adults, so you can fix this yourself, without a human buffer."

Alice looked sad, so I pulled her to the ladies room with me, after telling Jasper to join the family.

"What's up with the gloomy face, Alice?"

"I don't know. I swore to myself that I would not fall for him when he came back to set things right last summer, but then I literally ran into him at my office building and every shred of resolve was gone before I could even protest. I'm happy, don't get me wrong, but I've talked about this stupid situation with both Edward and Emmett until they were entirely sick of it. I'm afraid they'll be angry with me and with Jasper." She drew in a deep breath. "Are you sure you can't help us when we tell them?"

"Alice, I know you think they will freak out, but Edward will most likely surprise you. He's softened up a lot since Emma and I moved in with him. He's developed a better way of seeing the good in people and in certain situations that he might not agree with. If you need and ally, I would go for him. Besides, Emmett's really messed up with Rosalie being pregnant and running on hormones. Now might be the best time to do it."

She didn't smile or look convinced, so I figured I could throw in some really lame joke.

"You could tell them at the wedding, they can't kill either of you while you're there. It wold ruin the pictures, you know."

Alice smiled, chuckled and finally hugged me tight. "Thank you. I am going to love having you as a sister-in-law."

"What, you and Rose don't get along?"

"We do, but with you it almost fees like we're really sisters. I feel a stronger bond with you, without even having to try."

I smiled. "Thanks, Alice. I may have known Rosalie longer, but I love you just as much as I do her. You're just a lot less complicated and that's nice."

With another hug we decided it was time for Alice and Jasper to face the music and tell the family about their relationship, because hey, what else would we do during those hours we were supposed to wait.

~*~

It took Alice forty minutes, before she finally found the courage to take Edward aside. I watched them as they talked. I could imagine what Edward was saying, judging by his facial expressions. In the end he settled on a tentative smile and a quick glance around the room to locate Jasper.

Alice came over to sit by me, while Edward clapped Jasper on the shoulder and motioned him to follow. It was almost comical to see. I could already imagine him giving this kind of lecture to Emma's first boyfriend in about ten years. It made me giggle.

"What's so funny?" Alice asked, still eying the two carefully.

"Can you imagine what it's going to be like in ten years time, when Emma finally brings home her first boyfriend?"

Alice giggled too. "I already feel sorry for the kid, whoever he is."

"Me too."

Rosalie sank down on my other side with a huff. "Emmett is driving me insane. He want to join the mile-high club. It wouldn't even be possible if I didn't have a fat belly due to my pregnancy, let alone now that I do."

We all burst out laughing again, drawing the attention of Emma, who came skipping over to listen to her cousin. She was humming softly to the baby in Rosalie's belly, while the three of s watched her with sappy grins.

"Aw, would you look at that?" my mom cooed from behind me.

I laughed. "We're a bunch of saps, you know that, right?" I asked.

"We know," the other women chimed.

~*~

As I had predicted, both the boys reacted levelheaded when Alice told them about dating Jasper. Edward warned her to be careful and made Jasper promise to never hurt her again, lest he wanted to say goodbye to his manhood and Emmett had simply slapped Jasper's shoulder and told him he knew his weakest points and he wasn't afraid to use them against him. All in all it was no disaster.

But now, finally, finally, after nearly three hours of waiting, we were ready to board. We were in the back of the line, when Emma tugged on my sleeve.

"Mommy, I have to go to the toilet."

"Okay, I'll go with you. We need to hurry, though."

I picked her up, told Edward where we were headed and hurried back down the hall towards the restrooms. All the stalls were taken, so when the first one opened I quickly darted in with Emma, who was now squirming. When she was finished I felt the need to go to, so I asked her to wait in front of the door for me.

I hadn't even cosed the door to the stall, when she called for me.

"Yes, Emma?"

"I'm going back to daddy," she sang.

"No, Emma, wait for me."

But I already heard the door open and close. I rushed to get dressed and flush, before darting out the stall and out of the door into the crowded hall. There was no Emma. I ran through the crowd back to the gate, but everyone was already in the plane and I didn't see Emma anywhere. I walked up to the steward and asked him if he had seen her go in with Edward.

He shook his head and showed me his list. Only me and Emma hadn't been checked off.

"Can you wait for me for ten more minutes, I need to find my little girl."

"Sure. I'll wait ten minutes, but then I really have to close the gate."

"I'll be back before then."

I ran back to the restrooms, frantically looking for Emma, but not finding her on the way. I checked every stall, but no Emma. I groaned in frustration, glancing at my watch. I only had five more minutes, so I either had to find Emma and return to the plane, or I had to hope I could get another flight out to the British Virgin Islands at a later time.

I walked back out into the hallway and turned very slowly, checking everywhere I could from the one spot. From the corner of my eye, I caught the bright blue of Emma's coat and turned in that direction.

I ran for her, shoving people aside rudely.

"Emma! Emma!" I called.

I saw her turn to me. She had big fat tears streaming down her face.

"Mommy!"

I fell down on my knees in front of her and pulled her into my arms. I cried in relief, only now feeling how incredibly scared I had been.

"Emma, please never ever walk away from me again, okay? I could have lost you, baby."

"I'm so sorry, mommy. I thought I knew where daddy was, but when I got there, there was no one and then I wanted to go back to the bathroom to find you, but I couldn't find it anymore. I was so scared, mommy," she blubbered, her hands making fists in my hair until it was almost painful.

"It's okay, baby. I'm here. We need to hurry now, or we're going to miss the flight."

She nodded, but clung to me like she was afraid I'd leave her behind. So I lifted her into my arms and with her bouncing on my hip, I ran to catch up with our plane.

By the time I reached our gate, I was panting like a dog, but to my utter horror, there was no longer a plane on the tarmac and there was no longer a steward at the boarding desk.

"Crap."

* * *

_A/N: Please, don't kill me. This is the first of three chapters that make up the wedding, so hold on, in a few days you will know what happens next. (Update plan is Sunday)_

_I wanted to thank all readers and mostly all reviewers for their wonderful support once again and I hoped you will let me know if you enjoyed this chapter as well._

_Hugs,_

_Mo_


	42. Chapter 42 Wedding 23

**Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer, all things plotwise belong to little old me ;)

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Chapter Forty-two

**Epov**

Bella had taken Emma to go to the bathroom when the boarding had already started. I had wanted to tell her to wait for me to join them, but she was gone before I got the chance. My father told me to just go ahead and board. Something in my gut told me not to, but the steward was getting annoyed with me, so I boarded the plane and waited.

But as the minutes ticked by I started to get nervous. My leg was bobbing up and down and I was drumming my fingers nervously on the armrest. After about ten minutes I'd had enough. A trip to the bathroom shouldn't take this long.

So I got up, told our family I was going to look for Bella and Emma, before telling the stewardess I needed to get out of the plane to look for my fiancée and daughter.

"But sir, you can't just leave the plane. We're about to close the gate."

"Didn't you hear what I just said, the woman I am supposed to marry in two days on a beach in the British Virgin Islands is still outside with our daughter. If I don't get them on this plan in time, I might as well not fly out there."

She huffed in annoyance and stepped aside to let me off the plane. I jogged back to the entrance of the gate and found the ground steward still at his desk.

"Excuse me, my fiancée and daughter haven't boarded yet. Do you know if they've been by here?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes, she was just here and apparently your daughter ran off on her own. I gave her ten more minutes, but then I have to close the gate."

"Okay, we'll be back," I muttered.

I walked out into the hall, slowly scanning the crowd, but I couldn't find either of them , so I walked to the bathroom closest to the gate. A woman just walked out, so I gently grabbed her arm.

"Sorry to be rude, but I'm looking for my fiancée and daughter. Have you seen a woman and a five year old girl in there? My fiancée had long brown hair, brown eyes and she's about as tall as you and my daughter has my color hair and eyes."

"I'm sorry, I was the only one in there as far as I know. Maybe you should try the service desk, they can page them for you if you want."

"Thank you. I'll go do that."

She pointed me in the right direction and then walked away to undoubtedly get to her own flight. The crowd prevented any fast movement, so I just let myself get moved towards the service desk at a far too slow pace.

What if Bella and Emma had made it to the plane on time and I hadn't? Damn, I should have thought this through better. When I finally reached the service desk, the woman behind it was giggling into the phone while twirling a lock of her hair around her finger.

I waited as patiently as I could, but when she kept on chatting and laughing without acknowledging my presence, I cleared my throat and leaned forward with my most winning smile. The woman looked up and blinked a couple of times as if she were in a daze.

"Excuse me, but could you help me, please?"

"Oh, yeah sure....Jeannie, I've gotta go, I'll call you later."

She didn't even wait for the Jeannie person to answer before she hung up the phone.

"Now, how can I be of service?" she asked, batting her lashes.

"You can page Bella and Emma Swan to the service desk please."

"Of course, just one moment."

She walked over to the intercom system, swaying her hips in what was supposed to be a seductive way, but to me it held no appeal whatsoever. She pages Bella and Emma to the service desk twice.

She strutted back to me and perched on her desk, leaning closer to me. Her breath hit my face and I had to fight not to recoil.

"So, what can I do for you while you wait for your sisters?"

I almost snorted. "I'm not waiting for my sister."

"Oh, what then?"

"My fiancée and our daughter."

She blinked. After one last wistful look in my direction, she slid back into her seat and picked up the phone. She would no doubt call her friend again to continue their conversation.

I stepped away from the desk to give her some privacy and started scanning the surrounding area for my girls. It took another five minutes, but then, to my immense relief, I recognized the two faces I loved most in the world.

My feet carried me forward before I even fully registered they were there. I opened my arms and embraced them both. Bella sagged against me. I felt her shoulders shake and then I heard the unmistakable sound of her sobs.

"Shhh, baby. I'm here. We're in this together. Shhhh."

"My god," she sobbed. "Emma walked out of the restrooms to go back to you when I was in a stall. I couldn't get to her fast enough."

"It's okay, baby. You've found her and I've found you and together we will figure out what to do net, okay?"

She nodded, sniffled once more and then looked up at me and smiled. I leaned down and kissed her hard, feeling overwhelmed by the tension that now was released.

Emma put one arm around Bella's neck and one around mine and snugged in close. I smiled down at her, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"I'm so glad I've found you two. I was worried for a minute that maybe you made it to the plane to find me gone."

I put my arm around Bella's shoulders and led her to a restaurant nearby. I ordered us both a coffee and Emma a juice at the bar, before I sat back down with them.

"What do we do now?" Bella asked after a few minutes.

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. We need to find out when the next flight will be, which I'm hoping sometime later today, otherwise our wedding might be in danger. Until we know that, I have no idea what to do."

Bella nodded. "Should we eat something first, because all this running around has made me hungry," she said lightly, smiling.

"Sure, why not."

The waiter arrived with our drinks and I asked him if we could see the lunch menu. He nodded and turned to leave, but not before he let his eyes roam over Bella's body, who, thankfully, wasn't paying any attention to him. I was about to comment on his crude behavior, when Emma pulled on his sleeve.

"Yes, young lady?" he asked kindly.

"Don't stare at my mommy. It's rude."

The guy blinked, frowned, looked at me and then finally got the message and left to retrieve our menus. He thankfully didn't ogle Bella again when he returned.

After we ate, we went to the counter of the airline we needed to find out when we could fly up to the Virgin Islands.

"I'm really sorry sir, but it is a flight we only cater once a week. The next one out the will be two days after Christmas," the woman behind the counter told me.

"We're supposed to get married down there in two days, is there any alternative route we could use?"

"I will make a few calls to see if there are any other airlines that fly on the Caribbean today, perhaps you can charter a boat to the Virgin Islands from somewhere else."

"Please do. We really need to get there as soon as we can."

She gave me a warm smile, asked us to wait until we were paged and then turned to the phone to find us any alternative she could find.

Bella sighed. "Why didn't I just wait until we were on board before I got this little one to the toilet?"

"Don't do this to yourself. One way or another we will get there on time. I don't care if I have to charter a private plane. We'll get there."

"Okay, I'm willing to take a different route, even rent a boat from some other island to the Virgin Islands, but I'm putting my foot down on a private plane. If that's the only option we'll have we are driving home, celebrating Christmas with just the three of us and then we'll get married next week. I'm sure Alice can explain the circumstances."

I groaned, knowing she would not budge on this. "Fine, no private plane. Let's just find some place to sit and have a few drinks until we hear from the airline."

It didn't take more than half an hour until we were paged to the desk. We hurried over, hoping desperately to have some sort of solution.

"Hello again," the woman greeted us cheerfully. "I have found you a flight to Puerto Rico, which leaves in an hour. From there on you should be able to catch a boat to Virgin Gorda directly. I've gotten a few addresses to try as well. Will that do?"

"Sure, sounds good to me."

Bella nodded and gave me a dazzling smile. "We'll be getting married in two days," she whispered.

I kissed her soundly. "We sure will."

~*~

The flight to Puerto Rico left on time, which was a small blessing in itself. Emma was exhausted from all the drama that had transpired at the airport, so as soon as we were airborn and allowed out of our seats, she crawled onto my lap and fell asleep. Bella kissed me softly.

"I have to use the bathroom, I'll be right back."

I kissed her again and watched her walk to the front of the plane. Taking a deep breath I leaned back and closed my eyes, tightening my arms around Emma for a moment. Bella and I were going to get married in two days and despite this last little hiccup, we would be together for the rest of our lives. I felt a rush of warmth and happiness flow through me as the words ran through my head.

A small tap on my shoulder, alerted me to the stewardess beside me. I opened my eyes and looked up at her, smiling politely.

"Can I get you anything, sir?" she asked in an overly flirty voice.

"Three juices please."

She nodded and turned back to her cart, bending over at the waist, which practically put her ass in my face. I turned my head away, uncomfortable with the up close view. She then turned back to me and placed three small bottles of juice down on my tray with three plastic cups.

"Anything else?" she said, again trying to be seductive.

"No thank you."

She pouted a little, but then with a grin she placed her hand on my knee and pulled a piece of paper from her cleavage and placed it on the tray.

"I'll be in Puerto Rico for a week before I fly back. Call me while you're there," she purred.

I gave her a baffled look.

"Sorry to disappoint, you skank," Bella fumed from behind the woman. "but he'll be on an entirely different island by tomorrow and he will be marrying me. Now get your butt moving away from my man."

"Pssh. Like I would believe that?" the stewardess snorted.

Emma stirred in my arms. "Daddy, where's mommy?" she asked sleepily.

"I'm right here, baby," Bella answered, reaching for our daughter.

Either me being a father scared the woman off, or she finally realized Bella was telling the truth, but she quickly scampered off after that, leaving Bella and I alone. The rest of the flight we were catered to by a steward, who didn't flirt with either of us, but did talk to Bella about some guy two rows down. Bella checked him out and gave Mark the double thumbs up. I had to admit it was hilarious when not fifteen minutes later I saw the two of them heading off to the bathroom together.

"I'm so not going in there for the rest of the flight," I laughed.

"Me either," Bella said, shaking her head. "You have to admire his success rate, though. The floozy from before had, as far as I could tell, hit on four guys now and they all refused her advances. Seems like her radar isn't as good as Mark's."

I simply laughed at that and pulled her closer into my side.

~*~

We landed in Puerto Rico somewhere at the beginning of the evening. All sense of time had faded for me at that point. All I wanted to do was to get to the house we rented on Virgin Gordo already, but that was not to be. We tried several places to rent a boat, but none of them would sail out at this time of night. It was understandable, because it was a relatively long journey and they would have to get back to Puerto Rico, but I was bummed about it nonetheless.

"Edward, Emma is dead on her feet .Why don't we just find a hotel, get some rest and then head out first thing in the morning. We need to call our family anyway. I'm sure they're worried sick by now."

I nodded. "You're right. Let's go."

On our way to find a hotel we stopped at two stores to buy some basic necessities, because our luggage was on the first flight. Bella remembered to buy some toothbrushes and toothpaste along with shampoo and other stuff, while I remembered we would need some clean clothes to put on in the morning.

So after another hour, we finally found ourselves in the lobby of a decent hotel, all looking and feeling a lot worse for wear. The lady behind the reception desk was a saint. She took one look at us, muttered something under her breath and quickly arranged a suite for us and ordered a single bed to be brought up for Emma.

"You take care of those girls," she told me as Bella and Emma strolled towards the elevator while she processed my credit card for payment. "They need you."

"I know. That's why we're getting married."

"I didn't mean that. I mean, you need to keep them safe and taken care of and love them."

"I do. And I'll do anything to keep them safe and happy, anything at all."

She looked me in the eye for a minute and then nodded. "You're a good man. You'll do fine."

I smiled as she handed me the key and thanked her for her help. She shrugged and waved me off with one last warning to take care of my girls. I promised her again and then hurried to get upstairs.

When we got to our room, Bella took Emma to the bathroom so that they could take a bath together and I turned my cell phone on. It took a while but I managed to get a signal. I waited to see if I had any messages, but none appeared on the screen.

Frowning down at my phone, I dialed Alice's number first. No answer. My parents, both times no answer. I tried Emmett, Rosalie, Charlie, Renee and even Jasper. None of them answered. Glancing at the clock I decided to write it off as it being late and everyone sleeping, but I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

~*~

The following morning, I woke very early to an enthusiastic Emma. She was bouncing on our bed, chanting for me and Bella to wake up.

"We need to find a boat," she said clapping.

"Yes, we do. Why don't you go wash up, while I order us some breakfast. I think mommy needs a little more time to sleep."

"'Kay, daddy."

She hopped off the bed and skipped into the bathroom. I shook my head. Sometimes she did remind me a lot of Alice. I called down to order breakfast and got out of the bed to get washed up and dressed. Emma sat on her bed waiting for me when I got out and asked me to help her get dressed. She could do most of it on her own, but her socks and the buttons on her blouse were still a bit difficult for her.

After getting Emma and myself dressed properly, I decided it was time to wake up Bella. She grumbled as I shook her arm.

"Bella, honey, you need to wake up."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, flinging the blanket back.

She stumbled into the bathroom and I had to pinch myself not to laugh at her adorable grumpiness. Emma wasn't as successful. She giggled happily at her mother's bad mood this early in the morning.

"Are we finally going to get to the island, today?" she asked as she climbed up on the bed beside me.

"I sure hope so."

"Me too," she said, looking serious.

A knock at the door stopped me from asking her what she was thinking and it was just as well, because she squealed and ran for the door. She eyed the cart that was pushed in hungrily and I realized she was now otherwise occupied.

After breakfast we went downstairs to check out and not long after we were, once again, at the harbor, negotiating on a deal to get us to where we wanted to be. It took me a while, but I managed to get someone with a speedboat of a decent size to take us to Virgin Gordo and not only that, he would drop us off closest to Coconut Grove as he could get. It costs me a good deal of money, but ny now I couldn't care less about that.

Emma loved the boat ride. She sat staring out over the water with huge eyes the whole time, pointing out birds to both me and Bella. At one point there were a couple of dolphins swimming along side the boat and Emma nearly toppled over the rail in her enthusiasm. Bella grabbed on to her in time though and together they looked at them until they swam away.

And then finally, finally, we were at Coconut Grove. The boat driver had dropped us at the nearest harbor, after which we went to collect our house key and took a taxi to the house. Once I laid eyes on it, I felt a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders.

Bella and I explored the house, surprised to find that none of our bags had arrived yet. Where was our family anyway? Why hadn't any of them called us? I wanted to ask Bella about it, when Emma came running towards us with my cell phone in hand.

"It's aunty Alice," she smiled happily.

"Hey, Al. Sorry we didn't call you last night, a lot happened."

"I know. Can you believe it?"

"No. But where are you? We're at the house but none of our stuff is here yet."

"At the house? You're at Coconut Grove?" Alice asked incredulously.

"Yes? Why? Shouldn't we be?"

"But how did you get there?"

"Uhm, we took a flight to Puerto Rice yesterday and this morning we chartered a boat to bring us here. Alice, where are you?"

"We're stuck in Florida."

* * *

_A/N: I know I'm evil. So do you think they will still get their wedding the way they wanted to? Stick around for a few more days and you'll know._

_Once again I owe thanks to each and every reviewer out there. I would love to hear from you, and those who haven't reviewed so far, again on this chapter. This is the second installment that belongs to their wedding, so the next one is last. After that I have an epilogue planned, but that will be it for this one. :( It saddens me, because I have grown to love my Edward and Bella, but mostly Emma. I just hope thato ne day I may be so lucky to have an adorable little girl like that._

_Hugs,_

_Mo_


	43. Chapter 43 Wedding 33

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The plot belongs to me.

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Chapter forty-three

**Bpov**

"You're where?" Edward nearly yelled into the phone.

I already felt my head spinning. This could not be good. I caught Emma's panicked expression, so I quickly diverted her attention to the pool outside.

"Do you want to go swimming, Emma?"

"I don't have my bathing suit," she said, pouting.

"What do you say to just you and me going into to town and buying a new one?"

"Really?" she asked with huge eyes.

"Sure. It's way too hot to do anything other than swim. I need to get a few more things too, like towels and sunscreen."

"Okay. We need to buy daddy a bathing suit too."

"Right you are. Let's go."

I picked her up and put her on my hip. She kissed my cheek with a big smile and hugged me. "I love you, mommy."

"I love you too, baby girl. I know it's a bit of a mess right now, but no matter what happens, daddy and I are going to get married tomorrow."

"Okay."

Edward had heard what I said and waved to us as we walked out of the house. I pulled out my cell and called for a cab, having remembered to write down the number of the cab company earlier.

The town wasn't big, but Emma and I had fun looking through the different little shops. We took our time picking out our bikini's and a pair of swim trunks for Edward. Afterwards we walked hand in hand and checked out the other stores. Once we had everything we needed, we got another cab and drove back to Coconut Grove.

When we got back to the house, Edward was waiting for us outside. He looked restless, so I sent Emma inside with our two bags and told her to wait for me before going into the pool. She nodded and carefully walked up the steps to the front door. When she was inside, I turned to Edward.

"What's wrong?"

"The entire wedding part is stranded in Florida till later tonight. Apparently there was a malfunction in the plane and to be safe they landed at Miami airport. They were all given hotel rooms and only just heard back from the airline that and alternative plane will be available to fly them in tonight. We're lucky if they get here tonight, because after they land, they still have to get a boat out here and I don't know till how late they run."

"Does that mean they will arrive tomorrow?"

"It might."

I groaned. "Well that's just great. I know we get married around sunset, but this is ridiculous. It almost feels like we're not supposed to get married."

"Don't be silly, Bella. We're here, aren't we? It's our families that aren't supposed to be here," he joked.

I slapped his chest. "Be serious. After everything we've been through, I have gotten to believe in fate and right now all the signs are just giving me a bad feeling."

"Please, Bella, don't tell me you've changed your mind."

"No. Of course not. This mess is just getting to me. Let's go swim with Emma and forget all about it. If the family is there tomorrow that's wonderful, if they're not, we're still getting married," I sated, feeling determined to make my words come true.

Edward laughed. He kissed me softly and then lifted me into his arms in order to carry me to our bedroom. Emma saw us come in and laughed at her father's goofy grin. She had managed to get on her bikini bottoms, but she held out her top to me.

"Can you help me, mommy?"

"Sure, if daddy will put me down."

"Nope, I'm keeping you right here."

Emma frowned. "How am I supposed to put this on, then?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting her little hip out to the side.

Edward shook with silent laughter. "I'm sorry, Em. I'll let mommy help you with that."

"You'd better," she warned.

I bit my lip so I wouldn't laugh, but couldn't quite contain my smile.

Edward, Emma and I spent the remainder of the day lounging in and around the pool. I kept having a hard time convincing Emma she needed to let me put on sunscreen, but Edward finally came to my rescue by explaining that if Emma got sunburn she wouldn't be able to be at the wedding tomorrow. She didn't give me any trouble after that.

While I was working on a light dinner, Edward was on the phone with his father. I couldn't hear what he was saying and I was getting a little anxious. I had no idea what I was going to do if the family wouldn't be here on time. My wedding dress was on that plane and Alice and Rosalie were supposed to do my hair and make-up.

Emma came skipping into the kitchen. "Mommy, look!" she exclaimed.

I left the salad for what it was and crouched down next to her. "Show me."

"Look, I made you and daddy a gift."

She thrust a picture forward. I could easily make out that she had drawn me and Edward. She had made her own version of our wedding. I hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.

"I love it, thank you," I said honestly.

"Why are my girls whispering together?" I heard Edward's voice.

I looked up and found him standing lazily in the doorway, one should against the doorjamb and his ankles crossed. He looked so incredibly sexy in his low riding board shorts that I had to bite back a moan.

"Daddy, look. I made this for you and mommy," Emma squealed as she wormed out of my arms.

Edward picked her up of the floor and swung her around before settling her on the counter. He took the picture from her and I could see in his glazed eyes that he loved it.

"Thanks you so much, Em. It's beautiful," he whispered after giving her a big kiss.

Emma beamed. "Let me down, I want to go color."

After she ran back to her bedroom to continue her artwork, Edward pulled me into his arms. He trailed small kisses from the corner of my mouth to right below my ear, where he playfully nipped at my earlobe.

"Do you have any more info on the arrival of our guests?"

He chuckled. "I am kissing you like this and you can still think of that. I must be doing something wrong."

I sighed, letting myself enjoy the feel of his lips on my skin. I really tried to shut out the worry about what would happen to our wedding tomorrow, but it didn't work. I needed to know what to expect.

"Edward, please talk to me for a minute," I half begged.

He chuckled again and pulled away. "Of course, love. Why don't you finish with dinner, while I fill you in."

"Deal," I laughed, turning back to the salad I had abandoned a few minutes ago.

"I talked to Carlisle and Charlie. The flight will leave in about an hour. The airline has arranged for a ferry to take the passengers to the islands they were supposed to go to, so they will arrive tonight. They didn't expect to be at the hotel before midnight, though, so we won't see them before tomorrow, but at least they'll be here on time for the wedding."

"Thank god," I murmured. "I hoped they remember to bring our luggage."

Edward laughed. "Alice will make sure of that."

"Good."

~*~

The following morning I woke up to loud voices in the hallway. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I padded out of the bedroom. I found Alice up in Edward's face, jabbing her finger in his chest while my daughter looked on with wide eyes and a trembling bottom lip.

"What on earth is going on here?" I asked as I scooped Emma up in my arms.

"Your fiancée here was under the strict instructions to sleep in one of the empty rooms tonight and he just disregarded it. It's bad luck," Alice spluttered angrily.

"Alice Cullen, settle down. You can get angry, but it's done. There is nothing you can do about it now, so stop yelling you were scaring Emma and you pulled me from a very peaceful sleep."

Alice looked at Emma and her frown dissipated. "I'm sorry for yelling, Emma. I promise I won't do it again."

I looked Alice up and down and frowned. "You, miss Alice, are getting your butt back to bed. You have not had nearly enough sleep."

"I can't. There is so much to do today."

"Stop it, right now. I love you, but I need you to be well rested. I can't have you toppling over by the time it's ready to say our vows. If we'll get in trouble with time, we'll discuss it then, okay?"

Alice yawned. "Kay, I'll go back to the hotel."

"Don't be silly. I take it you brought our luggage?"

Alice nodded. "You wait here, I will get you something to sleep in and then you can get settled in one of the guest rooms," I told her sternly.

"Bella, you're a saint."

Edward took Emma from me, while I went to hunt down some sleepwear for Alice. She was out like a light by the time her head hit the pillow.

When I came outside, I found Edward and Emma already playing in the pool.

"Hi, baby," he smiled.

"Hi. I'll get some breakfast and then I'll put my bikini on."

"Hurry, momma. Daddy keeps splashing me and I need your help to get back at him."

"I'll be right there, baby girl."

I hurried through a light breakfast and sprinted to the bedroom to change into my bikini. I was pulling on my bikini top when I heard Emmett's voice boom through the house. I finished getting dressed quickly.

"Em, be quiet," I hissed when I came into the hall. "Alice is asleep down the hall."

Emmett whistled. "Wow, Bells. That's one sexy bikini. What were you planning on?"

"We've got a pool," I said, motioning my head to the back windows.

"Wicked! I'll be back in a couple of minutes and I'm bringing the rest."

I waved him off and then sprinted out the back door. I used my momentum to dive into the pool, surprising Edward by grabbing his legs under the water. When I surfaced her threw me over his shoulder and started tickling me. I giggled and squealed, kicking my legs around to get him to stop, but he wouldn't budge.

I eventually was dropped unceremoniously when our daughter started tickling Edward with her tiny fingers. Once I managed to stop coughing, I took in the adorable sight of Emma hiding behind Edward, while assaulting him with her small hands and Edward squirming and wiggling to get away from her. My heart nearly melted.

It wasn't long after that the pool filled up with our entire group. Worried about Alice's continued absence, I told Edward I would go check on her and got out of the pool. I walked through the hall, toweling off, as I heard strange sounds coming from the bathroom adjacent to the room where Alice had been asleep.

"Alice?" I called.

"In here," I heard her groan.

Poking my head in the bathroom, I found her hugging the toilet, looking pretty haggard. I knelt down beside her, feeling her forehead to check how ill she was.

"I'm not sick, Bells," she murmured.

"Uhm, Ali, you're throwing up, you're sick."

"I'm not sick. It's just nerves."

I frowned. "How long have you been throwing up?"

"I think about three days now?"

"Tired?"

"Uhm three days too. But I only throw up a few times in the afternoon or when I smell something nasty."

I raised my eyebrows at Alice when I posed my next question. "How long ago was your last period, Alice?"

"Uhm about four weeks, I think."

I stayed quiet while I waited for the light to switch on in Alice's tired brain, but when it did she looked at me with wide eyes. "It can't be. It just can't."

"Did you and Jazz forget protection after you moved him into your house?"

"Uhm... We might have, I'm not sure anymore."

"Jeez, you know for living under the roof of a doctor you Cullen kids sure know how the impregnate and get pregnant by accident."

Alice looked as me incredulously for a moment before she burst out laughing. We giggled together, still sitting on the bathroom floor, until Edward found us.

"What's up with you girls? Everything alright?"

"Yes, but you should probably send Jasper in here to talk to Alice for a bit."

"Okay. Are you coming?"

"I'll be right out."

Edward nodded and left the bathroom again, closing the door softly behind him.

"Thank you so much, Bella."

"Don't mention it. Discuss this with Jasper and when you know what you're going to do, tell your family."

"I will."

As I stood to leave, Jasper just walked in. He gave me a quizzical look, but I simply directed him to Alice and left. Outside the family was having fun around the pool. I stayed in the doorway, looking at the display before me for a moment. I made a mental photograph of this exact moment. I wanted to remember it forever.

~*~

By the time it was six o'clock, everyone except for Rose and Alice had gone back to the hotel to have dinner and get ready for the wedding. Edward had gone with them, so he could change at the hotel and wait for me on the beach at Twilight.

Rosalie, was having trouble maneuvering around with her big belly. She and Emmett were flying home earlier than the rest of us, because after this week she wouldn't be allowed to fly, due to her pregnancy, but she had desperately wanted to be here for this, so she took the change to fly up and down during the last week she was allowed to.

"God, Bells. Next time you think of a family outing, do it when I'm not nearly eight months pregnant, will you?" she muttered as she stood behind me, curling me hair.

I laughed. "I promise, Rose. No more trips to the Caribbean until you have given birth to your little one."

"Good."

Alice, who was working on my make-up, was laughing at our conversation.

"Don't you dare laugh, miss Cullen. Who knows what you'll be doing in another seven months."

I clapped my hand over my mouth and my eyes grew wide. Alice squinted her eyes at me, but fortunately Rose was either too busy with my hair to notice, or she didn't get my insinuation.

Emma had been happily coloring away while her aunts worked, but now got curious and peeked around Alice to look at me.

"Wow, you'll be so pretty, mommy," she murmured.

"You will too, Em. When they're done with me, they will do your hair too and you'll even get to wear a little make-up."

"Yay! Can I put my dress on yet?"

"Not yey, baby. When aunty Alice and aunty Rose are done with you, then you can put on your dress."

She nodded before turning back to her work. Time past quickly after that. Once I was finished, I carefully pulled on the delicate gown I had chosen and later helped Emma put on her dress.

We talked quietly together while we waited for Rosalie and Alice to get ready. When they finally were, my dad showed up with the car that had been rented for the day. The ride down to the beach was short and I felt my stomach twist and turn a little when we arrived.

After a few deep breaths, I was ready to step out. Emma walked up front, scattering rose petals on the sand as she walked. Behind her followed Rosalie and then Alice. The musci changed and I felt Charlie squeeze my hand.

"We're up, kiddo."

I smiled at him and with his steady presence beside me I walked, barefoot, down the short aisle across the beach to where my Edward was waiting for me. His hair looked like it was on fire with the setting sun behind him and it made him all the more handsome. I could see the sheer and utter joy shining in his eyes and I knew I looked the same in that moment.

When we reached him, Charlie took my hand and laid it in Edward's.

"I have had the joy to take care of this wonderful woman as a father, you now have the joy to care for her as a wife. I wish you both a long and happy life together," he said quietly, before kissing my cheek and taking his place beside Renee.

Edward smiled at me, making me forget all about the minister that started the ceremony. All I could see was him.

"Edward and Bella have both prepares their own vows. Edward, would you please go first," the minister said, drawing my attention for the first time.

"Bella, several years ago you were introduced to me as a girl who was supposed to be my little sister. I was never able to see you as one. Even at that young age I knew you would come to mean so much more to me than that. After we lost touch, I compared every woman I ever saw to you and I never found anyone who could even come close to your beauty, your warmth and your incredibly kind heart. I am glad I never did, because now that I have you again I know I will always want the original. Bella, I will do everything in my power to give you the life you want, anything to make you happy. I promise to love and cherish you for the rest of my days."

I wiped a tear away and took a deep breath as the minister told me to say my own written words.

"My dear, Edward. I don't think there has been a time since we met that I didn't love you. The first day I saw you I was already enamored and that crush developed into deep feelings of love. Over the years I have come to realize I could never let go of that love, no matter who would come along. When I found you again, my heart remembered exactly where it belonged. I know along the way we will have hard times, fights even, but I also know that my heart and soul belong to you and only you. Edward, I will do whatever I can to make you happy, to give you the things you want and need. I promise to love you everyday of forever, starting today."

"With these words, you two are bound. Can we please have the rings?"

Emma stepped forward, holding out the cushion with our rings tied on top. When the band slipped around my finger, I felt so whole, so complete.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Edward gave me a wicked grin. "I love you Mrs. Cullen," he whispered.

"As I love you, Mr. Cullen," I replied right before his lips claimed mine and sealed our promise to love each other for the rest of our lives.

* * *

_A/N: Aw the last chapter :-( . There will be an epilogue and after that, we're done._

_Tell me guys, what did you think of this chapter and of the total?_

_Hugs,_

_Mo_


	44. Chapter 44

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mrs. Stephenie Meyer. The plot belongs to me.

* * *

**

Epilogue

**Emma's pov**

My sister Sophie and our cousins Justin and Amy were in the backyard throwing around a football while I finished wrapping the gift Sophie and I had picked out for mom and dad. They were celebrating their ten year anniversary in a couple of days and Soph and I made a big book filled with pictures of us all.

I started with pictures I got from mom when I was little of her and dad when they first fell in love. I smiled remembering mom's stories when we still lived in Phoenix. She would tell me about dad every night before I went to bed.

I also included the letter I wrote Santa the year before mom and dad got back together and the one I wrote the year after, asking for a baby sister or brother. That last wish was granted nearly a year later when Sophie came along,

With a sigh I tied the ribbon around the package. I just hoped I would be as happy as mom and dad were together. They always made us feel loved and safe and dad even managed to be overprotective without becoming annoying. He was adorable, to be honest.

They were now visiting uncle Jasper and aunt Alice, who just had their first baby. Aunt Alice had been pregnant the year mom and dad got married, but she miscarried a few weeks after we returned to Seattle. They got married and only tried again a few years ago.

They weren't as lucky this time around and ended up having to go through several IVF treatments before they finally conceived. They now were the proud parents of a little baby boy. I had wanted to go with my parents, but someone had to watch my sister and uncle Emmett and aunt Rosalie's kids and this time it was me.

"Emma! Can we go out for ice cream?" my sister called from the backyard.

"Sure, let me just put the gift away and we'll go together."

She gave me a winning smile and returned to her ball game. My sister had mom's hair colour, but the same dark green eyes as me and dad. Where I had inherited mom's clumsiness, she was more like dad, graceful and athletic. She was a total tomboy, but it fit her perfectly. That's why she always had so much fun hanging out with Justin. She also had this crazy taste for ice cream in the middle of winter.

After I put away the package, I took my wallet and my keys and walked out the back door, locking it behind me.

"You ready to get some ice cream?"

"Yaay!" all three of them cheered.

Amy skipped to my side and took my hand, tucking her thumb in her mouth. She was six and although aunt Rosalie kept trying to stop her from sucking her thumb, she kept doing it anyway.

Sophie and Justin walked ahead, shoving each other playfully every now and then. As we walked I could almost feel like someone was watching us, but when I glanced over my shoulder I didn't see anyone, so I shrugged it off and walked on, chatting with Amy about our new cousin.

The ice cream parlour was crowded, but we managed to get a table in the back. I was just sliding into a chair next to Sophie when I heard the most annoying giggle I knew. It was Charlotte Petersen from my school. For some reason she had it in for me and she would stop at nothing to humiliate me in front of our classmates.

I cringed and tried to shield myself from view by hiding behind me hair. It was a bad idea, because my hair colour kind of stood out like a sore thumb, but hey, it was worth a shot.

"Oh, look. What do we have here? It's Emma with her only friends," she sneered. "You know it's bad when your only company are ten or younger."

My head snapped up, sick of her constant taunting. "Shut up, Charlotte."

"Why? Do I make you uncomfortable, Cullen?"

"Just stop it already. I know you hate me, okay. You can stop rubbing it in my face"

"As if. It's way to much fun."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on guys, let's just go home. We can eat the ice cream on the way," I told the my sister and cousins.

Justin nodded and helped Amy out of her seat before he handed her back her ice cream. He and Sophie ran up ahead, while I took Amy's hand and followed them out the shop. I tried to ignore the comments of Charlotte and her posse, but I still heard and when they called me a filthy slut right before I walked out of the door, I couldn't help but cry.

Amy looked up at me with as much concern as a six year old could muster. "Em? You okay?" she asked in a small voice.

"Sure."

"You shouldn't let her say that to you," a gruff voice from behind me said.

I turned around and my breath got lodged in my throat. Charlotte's older brother, Ethan was standing behind me. His black hair was stuck under a beanie and his grey eyes glittered dangerously.

He was wearing a tight black t-shirt, which showed his muscles to perfection and revealed a tiny portion of the tattoo I knew was hiding under the fabric and a pair of faded jeans which hung low on his hips. I swallowed thickly as his eyes roamed my body like he was checking me out.

"It's not like she cares when I stand up for myself. She just continues," I muttered, suddenly very aware of his presence and completely forgetting about Amy who was curiously watching the exchange.

"My sister is just jealous. Mom always raves about your mom and dad and how wonderful they are and what wonderful kids they raised. She gets upset about it." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"I don't know why she takes it out on me then."

"It's because you let her, Emma. You never stand up for yourself. Like just now, she calls you a slut when you're anything but and you just keep walking, head down like a puppy who's gotten a beating."

I bristled at his words. "What the hell do you know? Leave me alone," I snapped before turning on my heel and lifting Amy so I could get away from him faster.

**Bella's pov**

When Edward and I returned home Sophie, Amy and Justin were playing in the yard, like always and Emma was upstairs, her door locked and her music blaring. Edward frowned at the ceiling. I stopped him as he started for the stairs.

"I think she might need her mom," I said softly. "Why don't you see if the kids want to help you build that tree house Sophie has been begging you for?"

"It's freezing outside, I'd rather get them to do something in the house."

"Whatever sounds good to you, love."

With a small kiss I walked up the stairs. I knocked on Emma's door and waited for her to open it. When she let me in, the first thing I noticed was her tear stained cheeks.

"Oh, boy. What happened?" I asked her as I sat down beside her on the bed.

She threw her arms around my neck and started crying all over again. After a while she hesitantly told me what happened.

"Ethan might have used a bad way of saying it, but he is right about not letting Charlotte walk all over you. And as for why Ethan gets under your skin so easily, I think you might have your first crush, am I right?"

Emma groaned and hid her face in my neck again. "Mom, you can't tell dad, okay? He'll go crazy."

I laughed. Mike's words from a few years ago popped into my head. He had told Edward he would get in trouble once Emma was old enough to start dating. It sure looked like that was going to happen now.

"I won't tell your dad for now. But under one condition."

"What?"

"You tell me everything about him," I giggled.

Emma groaned, but then launched into a detailed description of how Ethan looked and why he was so incredibly dreamy. I laughed and giggled with her until she had tired the topic out and agreed to come down with me.

Later that evening there was a knock at the front door just as Emma and I were doing the dishes and Edward was taking Justin and Amy home.

"I'll get it," Sophie yelled from the front room.

I heard some muffled voices before Sophie came running into the kitchen, eyes wide.

"Em, there's a guy at the door for you."

Emma's jaw dropped. She turned to me, looking slightly panicked. "Mom, come with me?"

I nodded and waved her ahead of me. I stood in the doorway and watched as Emma shyly spoke to the boy I recognized as Ethan. They were speaking too soft for me to hear, but then Ethan turned to me with a shaky smile.

"Mrs. Cullen, can I take Emma out to the movies tonight?" he asked shyly.

I smiled. He had bad boy written all over him, but when facing me he was a shy adorable guy.

"You'd better hurry before Emma's dad gets home if you want to avoid the third degree," I laughed. "And come straight home after the movie is over."

"Of course, ma'am."

Emma gave me a thousand watt smile and a hug that left me gasping for air.

"Thanks, mom," she whispered in my ear.

"Have fun and don't do anything that your dad wouldn't approve of."

"I won't. Promise."

She squeezed me again and then turned back to Ethan, blushing beet red. I watched them get into Ethan's car and drive off just as Edward turned on to the drive way.

"Who was that?" Edward asked after he gave me a kiss.

"That was Ethan Petersen, the boy who's taking Emma out on her first date."

Edward blanched for a second and then tried to turn and go after them.

"Edward, stop it! The boy asked me permission to take her to the movies and I granted it. Why don't we trust that we have raised her well and that she knows how to use her head."

Edward breathed deeply. "If he hurts her, I will go after him," he muttered before allowing me to pull him inside the house.

"She'll be fine," I promised him.

* * *

_A/N: Well, this is it. The final chapter._

_I have loved writing this story and I have absolutely loved reading each and every review. I would like to send out a special thanks to all the reviewers that came back every chapter to let me know what they thought and those of you who have left me private messages with regards to the story._

_I wanted to leave things open, so you can all imagine the way their lives continue after the wedding. I am almost tempted to write a short story on Emma and Ethan's story, but it would be so far from anything Twilight that I probably won't do it. Of course, if you guys are all convinced I should, I might be persuaded, it pretty much depends on what you want._

_So for one last time: let me know what you thought of the chapter. Tell me if you want to read about Emma and Ethan. Make me proud and bombard me with reviews, people ;)_

_Hugs and lots of love to all my readers,_

_Moniek_


	45. Short Author's Note

Message to the readers from Love Uncovered:

Hello all,

I have received a wonderful amount of reviews with people asking me to do a follow up on Emma and Ethan. I decided I am going to write it, I am actually already working on the first chapter and it's almost done. If you are interested in it, put me on author alert so you know when the story is being posten. It's going to be called: First touch, so keep an eye open for it, I am expecting to put it up somewhere in the run of this week.

On another note: I started a new all-human story about Charlie and Esme. I hope you guys will check it out and let me know what you think of it.

Thanks again to each and everyone of you who have read, reviewed and all around supported my story. I hope you will continue enjoying my writing.

Love,

Moniek


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